Addressing Homelessness Together, as a Region
As the Richmond region continues to become a more expensive place to call home, we see elevated rates of poverty, housing instability, and homelessness.
There has been an increase in people experiencing homelessness in the Greater Richmond region since 2020. There are a few key factors that contribute to that rise: the cost of living has increased 40% since 2020 and the average rent price is up almost 24% in the past five years.
Meanwhile, we don’t have enough homes for everyone who lives in our region and we don’t have nearly enough homes that everyone can afford. What we’re seeing is an increase in costs, lack of housing, and rise in poverty that are all pushing more individuals and families into homelessness.
When we ask people experiencing homelessness the primary cause, 48% respond that it’s tied to economic factors, such as financial reasons or eviction. Another 22% say that a breakdown in family relationships is the primary cause.
Now, given this already challenging backdrop the federal government is planning devastating cuts to programs that help people experiencing homelessness get into safe, stable, and permanent homes. Those cuts will likely lead to a significant uptick in homelessness in our region. This recent 8 News story about the local impact provides helpful context to the current environment.
Fortunately, our region has an effective and proven network of homeless service providers known as the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC). The GRCoC includes 34 local, mission-driven agencies and local government partners.
In 2024 alone, GRCoC agencies and partners served over 8,900 people.
GRCoC agencies and partners operate a variety of programs, including emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. Those agencies also help people with case management, housing navigation, developing a housing plan, and more. Get more details on this extensive work and impact in the latest edition of the GRCoC Annual Report.
Our region has hundreds of dedicated homeless service professionals who work daily to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness get on the path to a permanent home. They do that through coaching, helping people find safe and stable homes, connecting them to other resources, assisting with some financial support, and a lot more.
It’s important to note that these efforts are regional and collaborative. For more that 25 years, our region has worked together on strategies to address homelessness. Thanks to that collaboration, thousands and thousands of our neighbors have gone from the streets to a safe and stable home.
Homeless service providers maximize their limited resources so they can say yes to helping as many people as possible, but the reality remains that we can’t give someone what we don’t have. Plus, the need for help continues to grow rapidly.
We need to invest in expanding resources for people pushed into homelessness. When we expand resources, we can get more people off the street and into to a permanent home.
We know that working together as a region, we can address homelessness and help more individuals and families get on the pathway to a permanent home. It takes all of us!
Learn how you can give help and support local, mission-oriented members of the GRCoC.
