From Shelter to Stability
Homelessness in Richmond
People ususally don't become homeless overnight, and they don't become homeless on their own.
It is often a long, downward spiral that leads to someone losing their home. Typical factors include, but aren't limited to: mental illness, physical and/or emotional abuse, chemical addiction, incarceration, financial instability, education, racism, underemployment, and unstable personal relationships. Families, individuals, society, and institutions create homelessness.
Homelessness in Richmond is a challenging issue that requires creative solutions that combine faith, compassion, sustained effort, education, and a commitment of financial resources.
We encourage you to visit the Homeward website to gather demographic information about homelessness in our community and to learn about the many ways Richmond is responding to this pressing social concern.
Helping Someone on the Street
Most people who advertise themselves as homeless on the street are not guests of CARITAS...and most are not actually homeless.
It is recommended that you do NOT give money to people asking for it.
Instead, you can make sure the right help goes to persons in need by giving them informational Hand Cards that will provide the location and contact information to Central Intake, allowing them to seek help in a safe, productive manner. The cards are also redeemable for one-way GRTC bus tickets to Central Intake at one of four different locations listed on the card.
Learn more about "Real change, not spare change," our community-wide initiative to prevent panhandling by visiting the Homeward web site.
Thank you for caring about these people, and helping us all work together to make sure everyone gets the right kind of help for the right situation.
Individuals in Crisis
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 homelessness perpetuates itself in poor educational and family outcomes for our community’s most vulnerable residents.