RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond City Council received an annual update on the Richmond Strategic Plan to End Homelessness on Monday.
According to the report, the most recent count reports 680 people experiencing homelessness in Richmond, with 333 being unsheltered and 347 being sheltered. This was a “point-in-time count,” providing a one-night snapshot of homelessness through shelters, transitional housing, domestic violence shelters and unsheltered locations.
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Of the people surveyed, 48% of them reported economic factors as the primary cause of their homelessness. Forty-five percent of them reported Richmond was the last place they had stable housing prior to experiencing homelessness.
In the last five years, shelter capacity for year-round facilities has increased from 335 to 384 beds — with 100 of those beds funded by the government.
Inclement weather shelters have increased capacity from 150 to 166 beds in that same time period…