Summer Point in Time Count Records Increase in Rate of Homelessness in the Richmond Region

Richmond, VA – August 23, 2024 – Data from the July 2024 Point in Time (PIT) count continue to show a significant number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region. The region’s level of homelessness has remained high since the COVID pandemic because need outpaces capacity of local human services assistance programs and affordable housing resources. Additional investment in the regional homeless assistance network is necessary to serve those experiencing homelessness today and to reduce the level of homelessness in the future.

The July 2024 PIT count recorded 585 people experiencing homelessness, including 267 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

The count also recorded 318 people in shelters across our region. Serving over 300 people in shelter each and every day has been consistent for our region since before the pandemic. The consistency of housing-focused shelter capacity highlights the resiliency of the local nonprofits that serve individuals and families in shelter programs that work to connect program participants to permanent housing and services.

The number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness – defined as people staying outdoors, in cars, and other places not meant for habitation – remains much higher than our region’s historic average before the COVID pandemic.

In response to the rise of unsheltered homelessness in our region, the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC) and Homeward will launch a new regional taskforce to address unsheltered homelessness. The task force will include representatives from homeless service agencies and local governments. This task force will identify strategies and solutions to address unsheltered homelessness and issue formal recommendations this fall.

“Although our region has made strides and shelters continue to support hundreds of people daily, homelessness remains a persistent challenge,” said Kelly King Horne, Executive Director with Homeward, which manages PIT counts as the planning agency for the GRCoC. “We can’t allow this to become a new normal for our region. 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.”

The persistence of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness highlights a clear link between homelessness and other, larger systems, notably economic inequality and poverty.

The two most significant contributing factors to individuals and families getting pushed into homelessness are a breakdown in relationships (30%) and economic hardship, such as losing a job (21%) or cost of housing (11%). Collectively, those two reasons explain why 62% of people surveyed were pushed into homelessness. Evictions, often a result of economic strain, account for another 13 percent of why people experience homelessness. These findings underscore how economic policies and conditions directly impact housing instability and force more people into homelessness.

“We need to expand our coalition to solve homelessness and invest additional resources targeted to prevent homelessness from happening,” added Horne. “The resiliency of homeless services providers is inspiring as hundreds of frontline outreach workers, case managers, and others work diligently to serve our most vulnerable neighbors. In addition to supporting these proven programs that move people from the street to pathways for a permanent home, our region needs to prioritize anti-poverty efforts and more affordable housing.”

Additionally, our region continues to see more older adults pushed into homelessness. Older adults, defined as those 55 and older, accounted for 43.9 percent of adults counted during the July 2024 PIT count. Additionally, 15.6 percent of adults experiencing homelessness were 65 or older. This specific age cohort rose almost three percent from July 2023 and is expected to continue to increase. These populations present unique challenges for housing because they are far more likely to have a disability and limited income. Integrating with other systems of care, such as medical assistance and health care, is vital for serving older adults experiencing homelessness.

“It’s important to remember that these numbers represent real people facing the trauma of homelessness,” Horne said. “These are our neighbors, the vast majority of whom have lived in our region for many years.”

Additional information about the July 2024 PIT count, including multiple charts and other data visualization, is available on Homeward’s PIT webpage. This page is updated with the latest data from the count. For media inquiries or questions about the PIT count, please contact Kelly King Horne at kkhorne@homewardva.org.