Office Of Homeless Services

What is the City doing to Address Homelessness?

The city is actively working with its partners to address the regional homelessness problem from the ground up. Dianne Wilmore, the city's homeless services liaison, and Hope RPD officers work with the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC) outreach providers to communicate weekly with persons unsheltered in the city, offering shelter and services to those who will accept help. It's not uncommon for unsheltered persons to reject that offer as shelters often require their residents to meet specific standards. For example, many shelters have a curfew, no-animal policy, restrict the use of drugs and alcohol, or only offer shelter to a particular gender for safety purposes. This issue is more relevant when the weather is mild, as some unsheltered persons are more comfortable staying outside and maintaining a lifestyle or habits that are not prohibited by shelters during specific seasons.

Looking forward, the city plans to continue to collaborate with our partners at the GRCoC to address homelessness by supporting eviction diversion, transitional housing, emergency shelter, and producing affordable housing opportunities. The city has created a collaborative strategic plan to address homelessness that provides a thorough history and outlines the obstacles specific to the Greater Richmond Region. In 2024, the city established a Community Resource Center that acts as a one-stop-shop for resources and information for the unsheltered. 

Recent City of Richmond Investments

Over the course of the past two years, the City of Richmond has made significant additional investments in mitigating homelessness in the City and around the region by forging partnerships with The Salvation Army and Home Again add 200 additional beds to the region’s shelter system. 

The Salvation Army Partnership

The City of Richmond has made additional significant investments—standing up a new 100-bed inclement weather shelter for single adult men and women and a new year-round 50 bed shelter for single adult men under the operation of The Salvation Army. 

Inclement Weather Shelter | 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23222

• The inclement weather (IWS) shelter operates from November 15 through April 15; this is NOT a year-round shelter. Between April 16-November 14, the IWS will open at the discretion of the City during inclement weather incidents and when temperatures are 92 degrees or above.
• During the inclement weather season, the IIWS is open from 5:00 PM-8:00 AM
• The IWS provides dinner and breakfast for shelter guests.
• Access to the shelter is on a first-come, first-served basis. 

50-Bed Year-Round Men’s Shelter | 1900 Chamberlayne, Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23222

• This shelter serves men–the greatest population of unsheltered individuals in the region
• Access to the shelter is facilitated through Homeward’s Homeless Connection Line. Men in need may contact 804-972-0813 to seek shelter and access to services and resources. This is the primary access point for the region’s network of homeless services and emergency homeless shelters.
• The men’s shelter is a year-round shelter.

Home Again Partnership

The City of Richmond has made significant investments–standing up a new 50-bed for families under the operation of Home Again.

50-Bed Year-Round Family Shelter | 7 North 2nd Street, Richmond, Virginia 

• This shelter serves families of all compositions
• Access to the shelter is facilitated through Homeward’s Homeless Connection Line. Families in need may contact 804-972-0813 to seek shelter and access to services and resources. This is the primary access point for the region’s network of homeless services and emergency homeless shelters.
• The family shelter is a year-round shelter.  

Outreach Program

The City of Richmond’s Office of Homeless Services conducts outreach to connect individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Richmond to permanent housing and safety net programs designed to assist in household stability.

Community Resource and Training Center

The Human Services Community Resource and Training Center supports Richmond residents experiencing hardship and housing insecurity by connecting them to services, resources, and case management to support their path to stabilization.

Additionally, residents receive support navigating existing housing and human services resources. The walk-in center provides a safe environment for anyone to tell their story to a well-informed human services navigator and receive a warm referral to the system of care in the region that is best equipped to help them with their unique needs, including coordinated homeless services, affordable housing resources, and eviction prevention and diversion programs.

Resource Center Navigators also host and/or work collaboratively with an adjunct corps of case managers and service providers from the behavioral health, social services, healthcare, employment, and homeless services systems to provide a rotating array of services and training opportunities.

The Community Resource and Training Center is located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23222.

On May 11, 2020, City Council passed Res. No. 2020-R031 which supported the Homeless Advisory Council's Strategic Plan to End Homeless. The Homeless Advisory Council was established to advise the Mayor and City Council about issues related to the homeless services system in the Richmond community in 2020. You may read more about the recommendations made by the Homeless Advisory Council clicking the link below.

Click here to read the Strategic Plan to End Homelessness.