Homelessness in Hampton Roads
More than 2000 people came for shelter at The Union Mission Ministries last year because they had no place to call home. If you are hungry, tired, and in need of shelter, get help now.
7 BEST WAYS you can help homeless this summer.
Print out a Union Mission Information Card to give to a homeless person on the street.
Facts
Local Statistics from January 2015 – Point in Time Count Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Western Tidewater)
- 1,371 persons counted (includes cities of Portsmouth and Virginia Beach)
- 73 chronically homeless individuals
- 89 veterans
- 131 victims of domestic violence
- 40 reported substance abuse
- 62 reported serious mental illness
- 8 reported HIV/AIDS
Why are so many homeless?
It can happen to anyone, anytime. Sometimes it’s a result of circumstances beyond our control: natural disasters, job loss, eviction, divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, medical bills. Most often it’s a result of substance abuse.
It is difficult to say exactly how many homeless people are in the Hampton Roads community, but in 2014, officials counted 1,371 homeless people in area cities including Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. Every day the Mission houses over 375 homeless men, women, and children. There are other shelters with less capacity throughout the area that also house the homeless. This means that on any given day, there could be more than 1,800 homeless people in the Hampton Roads area. A still-recovering economy means that more and more people are experiencing homelessness for the first time — and many don’t know where to turn.
The face of homelessness is changing. 40 percent of the homeless people in large metropolitan areas are families, usually a single mom with children. They live on the streets or in a temporary shelter. They are the fastest growing population of homeless people today. Reasons for homelessness vary and include job loss, and lack of social support systems.