Richmond region records highest number of unsheltered people since 2015
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The number of people in the Richmond area who were sleeping outside or in places unfit for living in January is the highest it's been since 2015.
- That's according to the biannual census of the region's homeless population released Monday.
The big picture: The total number of people experiencing homelessness is 681, per the federally mandated head count from the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC).
- That's 1.3% lower than last year's January snapshot but remains higher than pre-pandemic figures.
- It's also higher than July's point-in-time count of 486 people without permanent housing.
- Of the 681, 206 were unsheltered — a 9.6% increase from last January.
Zoom in: More than half of the respondents listed housing costs, unemployment or eviction as the main reason for their homelessness.
- The median length a person in the region is without permanent housing is 298 days, or nearly 10 months.
- And the demographics are leaning older (40%) and majority Black (62%).
Between the lines: The survey is voluntary, but even if someone doesn't agree to take it, they're still counted in the census.
- The localities included are Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, New Kent, Goochland, Powhatan and Charles City.
The bottom line: "It's the rents, non-renewal of leases, and then the rents go up, wages not keeping up with the cost of living … and then just the lack of inventory," says Kelly King Horne, executive director of Homeward, which coordinates the region's homeless services.
- "That's the biggest pressure within our community and across the country."
Editor's note: This story was corrected to note that people who don't participate in the voluntary census are still counted.