Homeward, VCU, VCU Health, and Senior Connections Announce New Partnership with Dominion Place Apartments to Improve Access to Housing for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Aug 19, 2021
Referral Program is First in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Richmond, VA – August 19, 2021 – Homeward, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP), VCU Health’s Medical Legal Partnership-Richmond Program (MLP), and Senior Connections - the Capital Area Agency on Aging announce today a new partnership with Dominion Place Apartments, managed by Boston-based Beacon Communities, to provide expedited access to high quality, affordable apartment homes for older adults experiencing homelessness. This partnership is the first of its kind in Virginia and will shorten the length of homelessness for older adults in the Richmond region.
This groundbreaking partnership will result in a collaborative referral process that providers greater access to permanent housing with supportive services that address the housing and wellness needs of older adults experiencing homelessness, defined as individuals 62 years or older.
“This announcement highlights the incredible impact that cross-sector partnerships can make,” said Kelly King Horne, Executive Director of Homeward. “The Richmond region has a demonstrated need for innovative partnerships to serve older adults experiencing homelessness. In 2020, for example, 125 individuals aged 62 or older were provided safe, indoor accommodations at a pandemic response shelter, clearly indicating the need for more access to stable and permanent housing for this population.”
The referral program makes innovative use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policies to help older adults experiencing homelessness successfully transition to permanent and stable housing.
Dominion Place Apartments, located in the City of Richmond, is designed for adults 62 years of age or older and individuals with disabilities. The community offers a comfortable, affordable, and secure lifestyle for residents as well as convenient access to everyday shopping, medical services and public transportation.
This partnership will be coordinated through the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care’s existing service coordination processes in order to serve our region’s most vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness and to maximize the community’s limited resources available to address the housing needs of people experiencing homelessness.
“The VCU Richmond Health and Wellness Program is well established within the community, providing care coordination and wellness services to older adults aging in place in urban apartment settings for over 12 years,” said Pamela Parsons, Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Practice and Community Engagement, VCU School of Nursing. “RHWP will provide wellness, care coordination, and self-management support in collaboration with Homeward, VCU Health’s Medical Legal Partnership, Senior Connections and Dominion Place to enhance the successful transition of individuals to permanent housing.”
Homeward, the regional planning and support agency working to address homelessness, will coordinate referrals for tenants from the region’s coordinated homeless services network. Individuals referred from Homeward must meet eligibility requirements for Dominion Place Apartments. Dominion Place will work with Homeward to provide a preference for vacant apartments for older adults experiencing homelessness.
Senior Connections has served as the state’s designated Area Agency on Aging for the Richmond Region since 1973. As the lead for the No Wrong Door Program, Senior Connections will provide care coordination services for residents placed through this partnership.
RHWP and MLP will provide older adults with wellness support, as well as connections to healthcare and legal services as they transition to permanent housing.
Dominion Place Apartments is managed by Beacon Communities, a privately-owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages multi-family housing. For 25 years, Beacon has engaged in development opportunities that make enduring contributions to the vitality of cities and towns. Behind Beacon’s award-winning communities is a talented team where genuine employee engagement matters. Recognized by the Boston Globe as a Top Place to Work in 2018, 2019, and 2020, Beacon continues to create homes where their residents are Living Well by Design.
Taken together, this collaborative approach that combines access to permanent housing and support services tailored to the needs of program participants will help to ensure that those served are set up for success.
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.
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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