Kelly King Horne sees herself as a problem solver who loves to work with people to make a difference. Serving as executive director for Homeward, the planning and coordinating organization for homeless services in the greater Richmond region, since 2007, Horne began her career of service with the Peace Corps, then worked for Habitat for Humanity in Eastern Europe and Northern Ireland. When she returned to the U.S., Horne says, she saw the problems of our country with new eyes.
“I felt we didn’t have to do things the way we always have,” she says. “Homeward has always looked at things from that perspective — how to do things differently, and that was the attraction from the beginning.”
In 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, Homeward had to quickly find a new way to deliver services as demand increased and traditional shelter programs needed to be retooled to comply with public health guidelines. We talked to Horne about the difficulties of the past year and the future goals of Homeward.
Richmond magazine: What has been the biggest challenge for Homeward during the pandemic?
Kelly King Horne: We are not a long-term shelter operator, but for health and safety reasons, there was an immediate need to offer safe indoor accommodations for people who needed shelter. Within three days of the pandemic hitting, we had set up a shelter response center. And I have even more respect for the people who do that work every day.
We were able to do this quickly because of relationships with partners that we had built over the years, and [we] have had to manage through the unknown with a population that was vulnerable before the pandemic hit. The most difficult part was that while many businesses and organizations shut down, we continued to provide services. We kept working.
We quickly found a partner to help us operate the pandemic response shelter, and though it has been very difficult every single day, we’ve known it was worth it every single day. We have helped 1,500 people since the start of the pandemic.
RM: How has Homeward adapted to the changing needs and challenges of the people you serve?
Horne: The pandemic stripped away the veneer that housing was being resolved in this country, pushing the issue to the forefront. Housing and homelessness are symptoms of racial inequity, and now so many people realize how close they are to homelessness themselves with the tightening of the rental market and lack of affordable housing.
RM: How do you deal with criticism of Homeward?
Horne: We focused on our core work of finding shelter for people. But we also listened to the criticism, especially surrounding racial equity issues, focusing on what we could learn. And we focused on education and communication — how we could best reach people in crisis to make sure they have accurate information about how we may be able to help them.
RM: With the pandemic continuing, what are your goals for Homeward in the coming year?
Horne: First, we will be watching the American Rescue bill. Those federal resources will make a big difference in continuing to [help] people who are homeless. We want to be as strong as we can to provide those supports. We don’t approach these problems alone. Also, we are listening to the people who are in the shelters and working with other agencies to make sure we identify the needs, opportunities and additional resources that are needed.
RM: Have you ever felt overwhelmed with hopelessness about the issue of homelessness?
Horne: Every day, people are moving on to the next step that works for them. Every day, there are terrible things that happen — someone becomes homeless or experiences a health crisis. The question is, where do you put your energy? We put our efforts toward where we can make a difference. If it gets heavy, there is always someone ready to help to carry the load.
RM: In a perfect world, what would Homeward be able to do?
Horne: We would be able to continue to enable partners to do their best work, and we would help to increase the stock of affordable housing for people with extremely low incomes.