Charlottesville City Council has held three public meetings so far this spring with the leaders of nonprofit groups who each play a role in providing services to those who are without a home.
Work is underway to develop an operations plan for a low-barrier shelter and support center at an office the city government purchased at 2000 Holiday Drive for $6.2 million.
Albemarle Supervisor Mike Pruitt recently attended a State of Homelessness put on by groups operating in the Continuum of Care.
“It gave me an opportunity to also reflect on how quick a moving target this is,” Pruitt said. “This is an issue that’s evolving really quickly.”
Pruitt suggested that Supervisors might want to pay more attention to the details as the plans come together. He said there are currently only around 50 year-round beds operated by the Salvation Army that require participants to go through internal programs.
“Those are high barrier shelter beds that bumps up to about 100 during the winter, which are lower barrier shelter beds,” Pruitt said. “Our point in time count is not high. We have at any given point in time about 250. Who are homeless or housing unstable, that’s an achievable amount. But there is a very concrete gap that we have not filled.”
So far there has been no direct ask of the county related to 2000 Holiday Drive but the county does provide funding to all three agencies in the Continuum of Care. The draft FY2027 budget recommended $48,174 for the Haven, $116,250 for PACEM, and $26,250 for a system coordination program run by the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless.
“Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH) System Coordination Program enhances and sustains coordination of the homeless service system of care to ensure that homelessness in the community is rare, brief, and non-recurring,” reads page 176 of the draft budget. “BRACH works to reduce homelessness by initiating creative solutions and coordinating regional resources and services.”
PACEM stands for People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry and offers those beds in the winter.
“The PACEM Shelter Program is tailored for individuals experiencing homelessness in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, using a congregate shelter model,” reads page 334 of the budget. “The program prioritizes these individuals and works closely with local organizations to provide access to resources beyond shelter. The goal is to offer temporary refuge and facilitate long-term solutions. Without the program, many unhoused individuals would struggle during harsh winter months.”
The Haven’s write-up is on page 318.
“The Haven is a low-barrier day shelter, vital housing services provider, and the main point of entry for the region’s homeless system of care. The program offers respite and basic services 365 days a year in the Day Shelter to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, connection and equitable access to housing services through operation of the Coordinated Entry System, as well as a full slate of housing interventions through Homelessness Prevention, Rapid ReHousing, and the Laura DeLapp Haven Housing Fund programs.”
Albemarle also contributed $100,000 to a study of service needs for the homeless.
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