RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The latest count by local homelessness organizations shows the number of unsheltered people has gone up in the Richmond region over the last year.
The biannual point-in-time (PIT) count, conducted by Homeward on behalf of the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, collects data that could drive positive change among the unhoused in Virginia.
The group recently released the Winter 2024 PIT snapshot. This data showed homelessness overall was stable, but also that 9.6% more people have no shelter at all compared to this time last year.
“It’s not meant to capture every sort of way that people experience, you know, housing instability or other sort of threats to, you know, where they live and what might be happening,” Kelly King Horne, Executive Director of Homeward, said about the PIT snapshot.
King Horne said the count represents only a single night of people experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region.
January’s numbers showed that 681 people were experiencing homelessness during that month, more than 200 of whom were unsheltered. In addition to this, more than half of the people surveyed say economic hardship and housing loss was the main cause of their homelessness.
“You realize, it could be any of us, you know, these are neighbors. But often it’s the economics don’t work, the budget just doesn’t cover the cost of housing, and everything else they need to do in their lives,” King Horne said.
Traci Byrd-Eagles, a member of Blessing Warriors RVA, said the numbers released don’t capture what their group deals with daily.
“I’ve watched those numbers be reported but I know what I see every day,” Bryd-Eagles said. “It doesn’t really get everyone. You know, you really got to be out there and be out there 24/7.”
8News contacted some localities included in this survey to see how they are tackling the issue of homelessness in their communities. Their responses can be found below:
Richmond
“Homelessness is a complex issue, and there is no one solution that fits all. It is important to gather data as it allows us to examine our efforts and determine where additional and dedicated resources may be needed. By understanding where the region’s homeless population is located, we can provide necessary services. It is worth noting that while homeless services are coordinated regionally through the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, the City of Richmond has made additional significant investments—standing up a new 150 bed inclement weather shelter for single adult men and women under the operation of The Salvation Army and a new year-round 50 bed family shelter under the operation of Home Again. On any given night upwards of 1,000 people are sheltered across the region in homeless and domestic violence shelters, recovery, and permanent supportive housing. The city’s recent investments add to this capacity. Additionally, the City of Richmond is working to establish a Community Resource and Training Center that will be co-located with the inclement weather shelter in the coming months.
The city is also investing heavily in mitigating homelessness, with the largest investment in its history, including most recently a more than $1M investment into the city’s Family Crisis Fund which assists resides in financial crisis and aids them on their path to financial stability. Working collaboratively we will continue to work towards solutions to address homelessness and move residents from crisis to thriving.”
Henrico County
“Homeward’s Point-in-Time count shows that our region still has work to do to address homelessness and housing instability throughout our community. Henrico County stands committed to playing a leading role by providing funding, resources and other support and by working collaboratively with partners to provide this most basic human need. Our budget provides nearly $350,000 in grants to local housing nonprofit partners, and we have distributed more than $18 million to promote housing stability locally since 2018. Henrico also remains committed to joining with the City of Richmond to fund the inclement weather shelter on Chamberlayne Avenue that is operated by the Salvation Army and Home Again.”
Chesterfield County
“Chesterfield County was awarded $2.12 milliom in federal HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds to provide housing, services and shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations. After conducting thorough data analysis, and robust community stakeholder discussion in partnership with neighboring participating jurisdictions, Chesterfield has determined the best use of the HOME-ARP allocation is capital funding for development of affordable rental housing. Specifically, the funding will be directed at capital subsidies for the creation of new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) inventory, which is designed to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness with the highest housing and service needs.
Furthermore, each year we provide about $15,000 in Community Development Block Grants to Homeward, the Richmond region’s homelessness services coordination agency. This funding will be used for Homeward to continue implementing the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care programs and services to Chesterfield County residents experiencing homelessness.”
More information on the recent PIT count, can be found here. More information on resources or how to get involved can be found here.
