Nonprofits urge Loudoun supervisors to boost human services, housing and domestic‑violence supports in FY26 budget

Loudoun County public‑service and nonprofit leaders urged the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 20 to increase FY2026 funding for human‑services grants, affordable housing and survivor services while a state probation official asked the board to provide a county stipend to retain staff.

Speakers including Carrie Wilson of Cornerstones, multiple representatives of LAWS (a local survivor services organization), Jennifer Montgomery of Loudoun Hunger Relief, Carol Smith of Crossroads Jobs, Nicole Acosta of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, and Eric Fling of the state probation office addressed the board during the evening public hearing on the county’s proposed FY2026 budget and proposed tax rates.

The appeals centered on three related needs: (1) additional support for nonprofit human‑services providers facing rising demand; (2) expanded resources for affordable and supportive housing; and (3) targeted investments in domestic‑violence prevention and shelter capacity.

"I applaud this budget and its commitment to affordable housing and fully funding our schools," said Carrie Wilson of Cornerstones, a Dulles Corridor nonprofit. But she warned that cuts to federal safety‑net programs and local economic pressures would push more people toward nonprofit services unless the county makes targeted reserve or program investments.

Representatives of LAWS asked for county support to strengthen prevention and shelter capacity. Catherine Parker, a violence prevention specialist at LAWS, described the group’s prevention work and said LAWS conducted 72 prevention and outreach activities last fiscal year, reaching more than 2,600 young people and professionals. Tessa Brody Ryan, LAWS chief program officer, said the organization is improving data collection and sharing to better track survivor needs and service gaps.

Lindsay Kearney, LAWS capital‑campaign advisor, outlined a proposed shelter and community services center: a roughly 26,000‑square‑foot facility with private efficiency units and a 50‑bed capacity. "Our $10,000,000 investment is more than just a building. It's an enduring promise to survivors and a commitment to our community," Kearney said, describing on‑site employment, housing and safety‑net supports in the plan.

Diana Rodriguez, community services director at LAWS and co‑facilitator of the Loudoun Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART), urged the board to build on DART’s multiagency model. Rodriguez said DART’s coordinated approach helped create specialized domestic‑violence detectives and probation officers and cited a 68% reduction in intimate‑partner homicides after the county implemented a lethality assessment protocol in 2016. She also said DART helped shape a 2023 change to Virginia’s strangulation statute to add suffocation.

Nonprofits asked the board to increase competitive grant funding for human services. Jennifer Montgomery, CEO of Loudoun Hunger Relief and chair of the Loudoun Human Services Advocacy Committee, said her organization has seen a 20% year‑over‑year increase in demand since 2023 and warned that recent federal contracting and workforce reductions could drive further need. Carol Smith of Crossroads Jobs asked the board to raise the competitive human‑services grant pool by 20% to meet rising demand; she said more than 80% of Crossroads applicants earn less than 30% of area median income.

Eric Fling, chief of the state probation/parole office serving Loudoun County, asked the board to provide a 15% county stipend to state probation staff in Loudoun, saying Northern Virginia counterparts receive local supplements. Fling said the stipend would cost about $187,686 annually (plus FICA) and that his office covers roughly 18 employees and supervises felony cases for Loudoun residents; he said pay differences cause staff turnover to neighboring jurisdictions.

Chair Randall told speakers that she and Vice Chair Turner have already met with Human Services Network leaders and said she will call supervisors in the next 10 days to share those discussions. Randall said the county might set aside funds now to address a potential "oncoming onslaught" of need tied to federal workforce and contractor changes, adding that unused set‑aside funds could be returned to the general fund.

No board votes or formal budget decisions were taken during the public‑comment session. Speakers’ requests will inform upcoming budget deliberations and the board’s final action on the FY2026 budget and tax rates.