Richmond to open new winter shelter for homeless residents

Driving the news: CARITAS will operate the shelter at its South Richmond location on Stockton Street, starting Dec. 1, local leaders announced Wednesday.

How it works: The site activates once the Salvation Army's shelter on Chamberlayne reaches capacity and temperatures drop below 40 degrees.

• It'll be able to house up to 60 people, but it's not a walk-up shelter, said CARITAS president Karen O'Brien.
• Those seeking warmth have to first go to the Chamberlayne shelter, and if it's full, transportation will be provided to the CARITAS site.
• The shelter will also connect people with housing resources and is hiring more staff to help run it.

Zoom out: The news marks a broader shift toward a more coordinated homelessness response among Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover — all of which had officials, including Mayor Avula, present at Wednesday's announcement.

• Avula noted that more than half of those counted in the region's homelessness census listed their last address outside of Richmond.

• CARITAS, a nonprofit, is the largest provider of shelter and recovery services in the region.

By the numbers: The four localities approved up to $618,000 to fund the shelter, but the exact costs will be dependent on how often it's activated, O'Brien told Axios.

• Richmond and Henrico are contributing 85% of it, based on a regional funding formula.
• Chesterfield and Henrico pitched in the rest.