Homeward Responds to Additional Federal Funding to Address Homelessness in Central Virginia
Apr 12, 2021
Homeward Responds to Additional Federal Funding to Address Homelessness in Central Virginia
Richmond, VA – April 12, 2021 –
On April 8, 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of nearly $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to help communities around the country create affordable housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. Over $11 million will be directed to the City of Richmond and Counties of Chesterfield and Henrico. These new federal funds will be crucial in addressing the increased need for affordable housing and homeless services in the Richmond region.
“Last week’s announcement from HUD will help our region’s coordinated and collaborative homeless services system to address urgent community needs,” said Kelly King Horne, Executive Director of Homeward, the Richmond region’s coordinating agency for homeless services. “Homelessness was a crisis before the pandemic and remains one of our region’s most pressing challenges as we plan for the next phase of our pandemic response. The leadership from federal officials is inspiring. In particular, we thank Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine for their support on this issue. We advocated for these additional federal funds to be in place when the temporary pandemic shelter program closes. These federal resources will be vital in supporting our most vulnerable neighbors as those temporary programs phase out this summer.”
The Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC) is currently in the process of developing recommendations for how best to leverage these federal funds to ensure they have the largest impact in our region. Recommendations will be based on over 20 years of conversations with people experiencing homelessness and best practices developed by the GRCoC. Specific recommendations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Richmond, VA – May 1, 2024 – Homeward – the planning agency for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC), a network of homeless service providers that deliver coordinated and compassionate solutions to homelessness in the Richmond region – will host its annual Best Practices Conference on Friday, May 3, 2024 at The Westin Richmond hotel in Henrico County.
From experiencing homelessness himself to now helping others who are going through similar crises, Choice East brings invaluable empathy and insight to his work at Homeward.
The last week of February, Homeward hosted a series of learning opportunities in a Best Practices in Youth Services Summit. Over two days, GRCoC partners, YAB members, and TA support staff delved into the core competency topics of youth services, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), prioritizing joy for young people, and federal grant regulations.
Unsheltered Homelessness Continues to Rise as Housing Instability Remains a Top Regional Issue.
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Funding by The Numbers , and Keys to Helping More People .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Funding by The Numbers , and Supporting Frontline Staff .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Keys to Helping More People , and Supporting Frontline Staff .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Funding by The Numbers , Keys to Helping More People , and Supporting Frontline Staff.
Collecting reliable and consistent regional data about individuals and families experiencing homelessness is crucial in building an effective community-wide response.
On behalf of Homeward, we want to thank Mayor Levar Stoney, City Council President Michael Jones, Committee Chair and Councilmember Stephanie Lynch, all of the members of Richmond’s City Council, and the truly dedicated members of the City administration for making this significant and compassionate expansion of homeless assistance available. For 25 years, our community has come together across organizational and jurisdictional differences with a shared goal of reducing the crisis of homelessness.
Every donation counts.
Together, we can
end homelessness.
Useful Links
Contact info
info@homewardva.org
If you are within 3 days of losing housing, call The Homeless Connection Line: 804-972-0831 . If you are more than 3 days away from losing housing, call The Housing Resource Line: 804-422-5061