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Homelessness continues to be a significant problem in the region since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a federally mandated survey of the Richmond area completed July 24 by Homeward, the planning and coordinating organization for homeless services in the region. Among the findings:
- 585 people are experiencing homelessness, including 267 people who are unsheltered.
- Homelessness was caused largely by a breakdown in relationships (30%), economic hardship (21%) such as losing a job, or struggling with the cost of housing (11%).
- Of those adults counted in the survey, 43.9% are 55 years or older and 15.6% were 65 or older.
“The findings from the summer 2024 [point-in-time] 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,” Homeward Executive Director Kelly King Horne said in a statement.
