VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Virginia Beach Housing and Neighborhood Preservation wants the public’s help to identify locations in the city where people have been seen living without shelter.
The information, according to the city, will help guide staff during a street count of the 2023 Point-in-Time count of its homeless population. Through Jan. 9, people can use an online map tool to submit locations from a mobile device or computer.
Signs someone may be homeless include:
- Personal belongings left behind
- A bed structure present
- People seen at a location on multiple occasions
The location points should include the date observed and any other details that will help describe the situation, according to the city. The department is looking for visual observations only.
“The City has a Homeless Outreach Team who goes out into the community every day to find, engage and assess the needs of people living in encampments and experiencing street homelessness and help connect them to available resources,” said Homeless Services Administrator Pam Shrine in a statement. “This tool enhances our efforts for the Point-in-Time Count to help ensure we are as thorough as possible and that all unsheltered individuals have the opportunity to be included in the count and assessed for services. It’s just one, but very important, way we can involve the community in helping us to prevent and end homelessness.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires cities that receive federal money for homeless programs to conduct an unduplicated count of the homeless population – a Point-in-Time Count.
It helps to determine how much money a community gets for homeless programs and services while providing demographic data about a city’s homeless population.
Each year, about $2 million is granted through the Continuum of Care to Virginia Beach agencies that provide housing and supportive services to the homeless.
The PIT Count is just one way Housing & Neighborhood Preservation determines how many people are experiencing homelessness in Virginia Beach.
Anyone needing help with the online tool can contact Stacey Leary at 757-385-5161 or sleary@vbgov.com. For more information about giving locations for the Homeless Outreach team, contact Crystal Bailey at 757-385-5165.
To help with the homeless situation in Virginia Beach, people can go to go the BEACH Community Partnership website.
