From Shelter to Stability
Homelessness in Richmond
Homelessness is a complex issue, exacerbated by many factors. Criminal records, poor credit, substance abuse, a history of trauma, chronic physical or mental illness, and disabilities may all contribute to housing crises for individuals. Most commonly, people have more than a single barrier to finding permanent housing. Many more earn between 0 and 30% of area median income ($0 to $21,160) and therefore are at risk of homelessness, especially as the cost of housing outpaces wages. For the majority of those who become homeless it is a one time event. Typically it is the result of a major event such as an illness, or the loss of a job. The majority will find permanent housing in a matter of months. But for those who suffer from an addiction, or have an accompanying mental health problem, an episode of homelessness can end up lasting years. On any given day in the Richmond region, there are over 1,000 sheltered and unsheltered men, women and children experiencing homelessness.
Over the course of one year 3,000-5,000 people in our community experience a crisis that results in homelessness. We estimate that 500-700 of homeless individuals in a given year are children and children who experience homelessness have an increased risk of experiencing homelessness as adults. The impact of homelessness on a community is far-reaching and long-lasting. The crisis of homelessnessperpetuates itself in poor educational and family outcomes for our community’s most vulnerable residents.
Homeward
In 2007 our community developed a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the greater Richmond region. Homeward, the area’s planning and coordinating organization for homeless services, facilitated the discussions that led to the formulation of the plan. The Homeward offices are located in the same building that houses the CARITAS Furniture Bank.
The guiding principle of the 10-year plan is that preventing and ending homelessness is possible. Some of the key strategies that support that principal include:
- Increasing access to affordable, stable housing.
- Implementing programs for ex-offenders to improve their housing stability.
- Targeting prevention resources to those at highest risk of homelessness.
- Providing mental health and substance abuse services to those experiencing chronic homelessness.
- Addressing the housing and service needs of families with children.
As the largest and most inclusive emergency shelter in the Richmond area, CARITAS has made a commitment to partner with Homeward and other homeless service agencies toward creating programs and processes to support the 10-year plan. It is our belief that access to emergency shelter will always be necessary, however it is our contention that emergency shelter stays should be relatively rare, brief in duration, and lead as quickly as possible toward permanent housing. We also believe that the entire community can, and should be engaged in addressing this social issue that spans geographic and demographic boundaries. Through our network of congregations, individuals, and community and corporate partners we are working toward that end.
Here are a few ways that CARITAS is directly seeking to address some of the goals of the 10-year plan:
Central Intake
CARITAS employees were directly involved in the development of Central Intake, the primary portal of entry for any family or individual in need of emergency shelter in the Richmond area. This agency is staffed and funded by Commonwealth Catholic Charities aat 1400 Oliver Hill Way. All individuals and families seeking shelter in CARITAS must be referred through Central Intake. Central Intake is a compassionate and effective means of coordinating the care of homeless individuals and families. Anyone in need of emergency shelter should contact Central Intake as soon as possible.
CARITAS Shelter
During the cold weather months, our shelter program, the largest shelter program in Central Virginia and the only one to utilize congregational facilities for intake and shelter, will house as many as 188 individuals each evening at 5 distinct host site locations. Over the course of the year our partner congregations and staff will provide food, shelter, and support for over 1,000 individuals who would have otherwise run out of housing options.
Once an individual or family receives a shelter referral from Central Intake and is part of our emergency shelter program, there is a limit on the length of stay; 60 days for Family Focus and 120 days for Single Adults. Our desire is to move clients as soon as possible into housing. However, extended stays are arranged at the discretion of our case management staff who partner with clients to work toward creating economic, emotional, psychological, and medical stability to achieve successful housing outcomes. Clients are often able to move directly into permanent housing upon exiting our program.
CARITAS Furniture Bank
The CARITAS Furniture Bank works with 19 partner organizations to distribute furniture to families and individuals moving out of homelessness and/or at risk of homelessness. Through these organizations, we distribute furniture to more than 750 individuals and families each year. On average, the CARITAS Furniture Bank provides furnishings valued at $1,000 to each of these households out of our 20,000 square foot warehouse in South Richmond. Furnishings are typically donated from partner congregations and businesses and are re-distributed absolutely free to the participants that have been referred from our agency partners. Agencies partners pay a modest annual fee in order to participate. Graduates of The Healing Place serve as AmeriCorps members in partnership with Embrace Richmond to provide manpower for staffing the warehouse and assisting referral clients.
The Healing Place
The Healing Place is a 198-bed long-term residential substance abuse recovery program located in Richmond's Southside. The Healing Place provides weekly volunteer support to CARITAS Furniture Bank. Graduates of The Healing Place serve as AmeriCorps members in partnership with Embrace Richmond, also provide assistance and encouragement to others who have experienced the pain and challenges of escaping homelessness. The Healing Place fills a critical need in our community by providing 12-step recovery programming and stable housing to homeless male addicts. It is also an important housing referral option for single, male adults who are CARITAS clients and substance abusers. The Healing Place program has more than a 70% success rate, meaning that 70% of those who have completed the educational portion of the program are clean and sober today.
Embrace Richmond
Embrace Richmond is a faith based organization dedicated to equipping, empowering and engaging people of faith in works of service. Embrace Richmond was the originator of the furniture redistribution program that eventually became the Furniture Bank, and Embrace offices are located in the same building as the CARITAS Furniture Bank. Embrace Richmond serves as the coordinating agency for the faith community's response to homelessness in partnership with Homeward, the coordinating agency for homeless services in Richmond. Embrace Richmond has committed more than a dozen of its AmeriCorps members to service positions in support of the CARITAS Furniture Bank and offers both short-term and long-term opportunities for individuals and groups to serve through the CARITAS Furniture Bank.