The Richmond area’s level of homelessness is on the rise due to a worrying increase in unsheltered people, according to a new report from the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care’s planning agency.
Homeward counted 585 people experiencing homelessness in Greater Richmond — which covers Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties, as well as the town of Ashland — in its annual July Point in Time report, released Aug. 23.
That’s a 20% increase from the July 2023 count, driven largely by an increase in those experiencing “unsheltered homelessness” — people staying outdoors or in places not meant for habitation, like cars.
Two hundred sixty-seven of the individuals counted by Homeward were classified as unsheltered — more than in any other Point in Time count dating back to 2008, according to Homeward’s records.
“We can’t allow this to become a new normal for our region,” said Kelly King Horne, Homeward’s executive director, in a statement Friday. “The findings from the Summer 2024 PIT count should be a call to action to invest in proven homeless services programs, support efforts to reduce poverty, and create more housing that everyone can afford.”
Homeward said the number of people in Greater Richmond counted as living in shelters has been consistent since before the COVID-19 pandemic, which “highlights the resiliency of the local nonprofits that serve individuals and families in shelter programs.”
But the increase in unsheltered homelessness speaks to “the impact of the larger housing market,” Horne told VPM News in a phone interview. She said the Continuum of Care has seen an increase in calls from housing-insecure people who are not necessarily eligible for typical services, but still need assistance.
“All of those requests are an indication of a bigger affordability issue,” she said, pointing to a growing metro Richmond population that has led to increased housing demand — without a corresponding increase in available and affordable living options.
“How do you make it work?” Horne asked. “People run out of options.”
Another trend in the data that Horne found concerning is that the unhoused population is getting older: More than 250 of the individuals counted in the July report were 55 or older.
“That’s the part that keeps me awake at night,” Horne said. “What are we doing as a country if older adults are homeless?”
In response to the spike in unsheltered homelessness, GRCoC and Homeward announced a new regional task force to address the issue, which will present formal recommendations to the continuum’s board this fall.
Horne said one goal of the task force is to identify programs that have worked in the past and figure out how to expand them effectively, particularly before temperatures drop later this year.
Homeward also conducts a Point in Time count in January. As VPM News has previously reported, the winter numbers are typically larger than the July counts.
