Posing together are personnel from The Lamb Center, Wesley Housing and the construction team, plus invited guests.
Wearing hard hats, bright neon vests and protective goggles, board members of The Lamb Center and invited guests toured the first two floors of Beacon Landing in Fairfax City. They saw its wooden framework of apartments, offices and community kitchen under construction.
But TLC Development Director Wendy Baird got right to the heart of the matter. Pointing at one of the apartments, she proudly told the visitors, “This is going to be somebody’s home.”
And that’s what it’s all about. A project of TLC and Wesley Housing, Beacon Landing will be a five-story apartment building providing 54 homeless people with a place to live. It’ll serve those most vulnerable, marginalized and at-risk, especially the elderly and those with disabilities.
The tour happened Wednesday, June 10, in coordination with a topping-off celebration at the site. In construction, this event signifies the milestone when the final beam, or topmost structural element, is placed at the highest point of a building. And in this case, it also marked the imminent installation of Beacon Landing’s roof.
At the outset, TLC Executive Director Tara Ruszkowski told attendees and construction workers alike, “The Lamb Center started this project, but we never would have gotten it off the ground without some incredible people who are here right now. We brought this building all the way up to the topping-off, and that’s an important benchmark in this whole journey.
“This is also a huge thank-you to the onsite construction team that’s bringing this project to life. It’s going to be transformational for our community. But none of this would have happened without Chuck Leftridge. He’s the lead superintendent with Harkins Builders and the conductor of this whole ‘orchestra.’”
Ruszkowski also acknowledged Kamilah McAfee, president and CEO of Wesley Housing, telling her, “We could not be more grateful. Wesley brought this together; you’re the most incredible developer/partner we could have ever asked for, and you brought Harkins in as the construction team.”
And while pleased to be building this structure, Leftridge admitted that the harsh winter had caused his workers some serious problems. “It’s been a struggle,” he said. “We had one of the toughest winters in quite a while, but we’re here. We’re working on the roof now so, in a few short months, we’ll be walking the units and getting things turned over.”
Praising the hard work of his project manager and design team, Leftridge said, “These guys gave us what we needed to get things done, and they continue working with us, every single day, to answer questions and figure things out. And we couldn’t do half of what we’ve done without the communication we have with [The Lamb Center]. It’s all greatly appreciated.”
McAfee acknowledged her team members, as well. She then said, “We give all credit to The Lamb Center and its vision for bringing this beacon of hope into its community. We wanted the right team so we could get this done in the right timeframe.”
All those attending, including the construction workers, then enjoyed a barbecue meal together. Several
From left, Tara Ruszkowski speaks with Lamb Center friend Cyndi Hoffman in the telehealth area.
Showing where the expansion of TLC’s workforce-development program will be, Ruszkowski said, “This is something we really feel called to do for our community.” Via this program, Lamb Center guests have been able to learn specialized skills and earn some money working for both Fairfax City’s Parks and Rec and Public Works departments. Indeed, it’s proven so successful that some of them also do similar work for Fairfax County.
To increase opportunities for TLC’s guests, Ruszkowski said they could work in, for example, food services, lawn care and various trades, including those in the construction field. “We’re starting to have those conversations right now to figure out where is that intersection between employer interest and skills appropriate for our community to do,” she explained.
“So that’s what’s next – to really pour our energy, time and creativity into that and to bring in the correct partnerships. It’ll be challenging, but it’s important to find employer partners that really want to invest in human services, as well, and not just churn through lower-skilled workers. We want to create sustainable opportunities so our folks can step up and move forward.”
Ruszkowski then took the visitors to the second floor and pointed out the reception area and offices for the Beacon Landing residents’ case management. And just down the hall will be a telehealth suite so case managers may easily obtain their healthcare information.
Ruszkowski called it “an exciting part of the case management here. When our folks move in – just to qualify to live in this community – they must have a disability and have also been experiencing chronic homelessness. The people moving in here are really going to be super vulnerable, and the way to ensure their health and success is to provide lots of care. And so we’ll have 24-hour care in the building; at all times, there’ll always be at least two staff members on site.”
Besides TLC staff, volunteers from The Lamb Center’s faith-community partners will also come to Beacon Landing to provide fun and interesting opportunities for the residents. “They’re planning cooking classes, pizza nights and game nights,” said Ruszkowski. She then showed the visitors the community space being created for activities such as these.
She said bookshelves could be added for a small library and reading nook, and people could also sit there and have quiet conversations with each other. There’s also a balcony off that room that’ll have a 6-foot-high screen providing privacy for both the residents and their neighbors, while enabling them to spend a little time outside. “We designed it to be elevated because we wanted them to have outdoor space without milling around on the street,” said Ruszkowski. “That was important to our neighbors.”
Next, she showed everyone the demonstration kitchen. Although each unit will have its own kitchen, she explained that “When you’re coming in off the street, you might not know how to cook or even use utensils properly.” She then shared a story of a formerly unhoused person who finally moved into a home and was excited to cook in his own kitchen. But when he tried cooking meat in a pan, he burned both it and the pan because he didn’t know he was supposed to add oil to prevent sticking.
So in the demonstration kitchen, the residents will learn some basic cooking skills. “Some of these things that we take for granted might be new for our guests,” said Ruszkowski. “It’s one thing to house people and put a roof over their heads, but then there’s dealing with the trauma they’ve experienced and [figuring out] what do they need to know to acclimate into the community to live in a healthy way.
“When people first start moving in, we’ll be doing lots of social gatherings. And first of all, we’ll say, ‘Welcome; you’re loved, you’re safe, we’re here for you, and this is your home.’ So we hope that having this community kitchen where they can take classes together and enjoy themselves will make them feel like they’re OK.”
Wendy Baird then let the tour participants see the apartments being built. “When you have 54 people who’ve been living in the woods for a year, they have a lot to learn,” she said. “So a big part of making this project work is hiring capable case managers able to build trusting relationships and guide people through what it means to live in housing.
“One of our former guests who’s been recently housed said, ‘You just live with this fear that somebody’s going to come knock on your door and say, get out. But when you move into [permanent] housing, your body lets go and you start sleeping.’ So we’re mindful of all the supports we need to provide to help folks transition.”
Baird said each apartment will have its own bathroom, kitchen, closet and small workspace, and each resident will be given a twin bed, dresser, desk and chair, loveseat and TV. “The units aren’t large – just 450 square feet,” she said. “But it’s home and it’ll be theirs.
“The light from the windows is beautiful, and people can get their own fresh air. It’s not a shelter, but permanent supportive housing. For rent, residents will pay either 30 percent of their disability income or $50 a month. Construction began in October, and it’s fun to see it all take shape.”
Leftridge, of Harkins Builders, said about 100 people daily are on site working, including workers with Belfast Concrete, G.T. Electric, Madison Mechanical, Penguin Mechanical, Washington Sprinkler, J&F Contracting and Triple One Contracting.
“Winter slowed us down and stopped us, on occasion, with frost and snow,” said Leftridge. “You can’t pour concrete in freezing temperatures.” Now, though, he’s looking forward to the project’s completion. “This is why we build – to put roofs over people’s heads,” he said. “We do a lot of lower-income housing, and that always feels good.”
“We have a dream team working on this building,” added Ruszkowski. “Harkins has been an exceptional partner, every step of the process, as have all the people working on this site every day. Harkins is determined to deliver this beautiful building on time, and maybe even ahead of schedule, so we can welcome people home for the holidays.
“We’re over the moon about this project, and we’re grateful for the community that’s come around and supported us. The right people have been involved at the right time to make this all possible.”
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Beacon Landing is on Campbell Drive, a block from TLC’s daytime, drop-in shelter for the homeless. The project developer, Wesley Housing, will manage the property. There’ll be 42 efficiency units (350 square feet each); 10, one-bedroom; and two, two-bedroom for residents needing caregivers. And 15 percent will be ADA-compliant.
The supportive services residents will receive services that will help them stay in and maintain their homes, find employment/income, and address their physical- and behavioral-health needs. When finished, this $33.1 million development will be the largest permanent supportive housing facility in Northern Virginia.