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County presents street-outreach data and advertising campaign metrics as panhandling spikes in warm months
Summary
Social services described outreach to 78 people identified as panhandling (31 non-homeless, 47 homeless) and recommended expanding street-outreach staffing; communications reported a paid media campaign that produced high video-completion rates and nearly 690,000 streaming impressions.
Prince William County social-services staff reported data from a street-outreach pilot and communications staff described results from a paid public-awareness campaign called “Give Where It Counts.” Officials said outreach and communications together are intended to reduce direct giving to panhandlers and connect people to services.
Phyllis Janice Holt, Director of Social Services, said the county’s street outreach team consists of three staff (the team was recently increased from one worker and the department requested two temporary positions for FY 2026 so the roles can become permanent). Holt said the team responds to reports of panhandling and attempts to connect people to shelter, benefits and treatment; constituents can report panhandling concerns by calling (703) 792‑3939 or emailing pwcpanhandling@pwcgov.org.
Holt said that between the period covered in the presentation (start June 1 to April 15 as used in material for the briefing) outreach staff engaged 78 individuals: 31 identified as not homeless (community outreach) and 47 identified as homeless (street outreach). She reported that older adults (55+) were well represented in both groups and that the white/non-Hispanic category was the largest racial group listed (46 individuals) followed by Black/African American (15 individuals). Holt said disability prevalence was 29% among non-homeless panhandlers and 40% among panhandlers experiencing homelessness; monthly income was reported by 28.1% of non-homeless panhandlers and by 8.5% of those experiencing homelessness. Holt said opioid use was self-reported for 13.2% of panhandlers experiencing homelessness and zero among non-homeless respondents; she also said Spanish was the most common translation need and that staff can access a language line when needed.
Holt described geographic patterns by police district: West had 25 panhandlers (17 homeless, 8 not), Central had 30 (17 homeless, 13 not) and East had 17 (9 homeless, 8 not). She said the primary reasons cited were economic instability and gaps in the safety net for non-homeless individuals and lack of housing and inability to afford hotels/motels for people experiencing homelessness. Holt said, as of the presentation window, 10 outreach clients entered emergency shelter and closed their outreach case, two clients transitioned to family or permanent housing and one death from opioid use was reported among the group.
Nikki Brown, communications and engagement, reviewed the county’s paid media campaign to change giver behavior. The Board allocated $60,000 for paid media; county staff said roughly $40,000 was spent in late November–December to reach the holiday giving season, leaving about $20,000 for targeted impressions in spring and summer. Brown reported campaign results including nearly 3,700 county website page views tied to the campaign window, about 690,000 streaming impressions with an 89% video-completion rate (staff characterized that completion rate as “unusually high”), 561 clicks from streaming platforms, and high impressions from mall and theater placements. Brown said she will continue targeted buys for Memorial Day and July 4 and will use remaining funds for posters and gas-station ads in corridors identified by outreach data.
Supervisors asked about seasonal variation, whether the data capture will be continuous (staff said it will), how follow-up is handled when someone previously connected returns to panhandling (staff said outreach cases are kept active for 90 days then closed unless reengaged), and how vendors and community partners could better advertise donation channels. Brown said county toolkits and posters are available for partners and that the county will pursue signage in collaboration with transportation staff for moveable intersection signs.
Board members praised outreach staff and requested further data tracking, more frequent reporting, and continued coordination with the communications campaign and community partners.
