RD329 - Virginia’s Homeless Programs 2012-13 Program Year


Executive Summary:
Overall homelessness in the Commonwealth has declined 16 percent from 2010 to 2013 with a 17 percent decrease in family homelessness in the same period. However, homelessness continues to directly affect thousands of Virginians annually. According to the annual 2013 point-in-time count (*1) conducted by localities statewide, at least 7,625 individuals were homeless during a 24-hour snapshot in January 2013. Four to five times that number (30,500-38,125 individuals annually) may actually experience homelessness at some point during the year, according to national homeless studies. Many of these persons have special needs based on situations ranging from physical or mental disabilities to chronic substance abuse. Of the total homeless population, many are also victims of other circumstances such as job loss or domestic violence.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) directly addresses the problems associated with homelessness by administering several core programs that provide financial support to local governments and nonprofit providers of housing and supportive services to the homeless. During the 2012-13 program year, DHCD administered the following:

• Child Care for Homeless Children Program (CCHCP)
• A $180,469 block grant to provide child care for homeless children
• 128 children received child care through the program

• Child Services Coordination Grant (CSCG)
• $330,453 in state general funds to coordinate health, mental health, and education services for children in homeless services programs
• 11 nonprofit organizations received funding to train and compensate Child Services Coordinators

• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
• $3,958,926 in federal funds through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• ESG served approximately 8,662 individuals through its assistance services
• Funding served 5,832 individuals in shelters, 1,358 in Rapid Re-housing, and provided financial assistance to avert homelessness for an additional 1,472 program participants

• Homeless Solutions Grant (HSG)
• $7,151,338 in state general funds to the Homeless Solutions Grant (HSG), which includes $500,000 allocated for activities specific to rapid re-housing
• HSG served 17,537 persons through shelter and 3,574 through Rapid Re-housing

• Homeless Prevention Program (HPP)
• $4,585,368 million in state general funds
• 4,447 individuals (1,746 households) received financial assistance to prevent homelessness

• Housing Opportunities to Persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA)
• $688,036 in federal funds through HUD
• Funding was distributed through eight project sponsors across the state to serve 271 individuals (271 households) with HIV/AIDS through housing subsidy assistance
• 386 households received supportive services, including case management, transportation, and food assistance

This report serves as a means to report overall conditions and progress made related to the administration of the State’s homelessness programs in compliance with Budget Item 103 D.

The Department shall report to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance, the House Appropriations Committees, and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget by November 4 of each year on the state's homeless programs, including, but not limited to, the number of (i) emergency shelter beds, (ii) transitional housing units, (iii) single room occupancy dwellings, and (iv) homeless intervention programs supported by state funding on a locality and statewide basis. The report shall also include the number of Virginians served by these programs, the costs of the programs, and the financial and in-kind support provided by localities and nonprofit groups in these programs. In preparing the report, the Department shall consult with localities and community-based groups.
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(*1) "2013 January PIT Count" (preliminary results)