Governor McAuliffe is scheduled to visit Lynchburg tomorrow to attend the Central Virginia Continuum of Care Resource Fair. It’s designed as a resource for anyone facing homelessness or housing insecurity. McAuliffe is expected to speak about homelessness and veterans. The resource fair, Sharing the Love in Central Virginia, will host approximately 20 service agencies and mainstream resources to assist the homeless and unstably housed persons and families.
(Continue reading for the Lynchburg City news release.)
On Thursday, January 26, Governor Terry McAuliffe will be in Lynchburg to attend the Central Virginia Continuum of Care Resource Fair, “Sharing the Love.” The event will take place from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. at the City Armory, 1200 Church Street, and will be a resource for individuals and families facing homelessness or housing insecurity. Governor McAuliffe is scheduled to arrive at approximately 2:30 p.m. and to speak concerning homelessness and veterans. Mayor Joan Foster is expected to speak at approximately 2:15 p.m.
The Fair is being held in conjunction with the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count measurement of the community’s homeless population. All communities that receive homeless response funding from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development conduct the count at the end of January. All Virginia communities began conducting the count Wednesday, January 25. (The count is where people sleep from sundown January 25 through sunrise January 26). Both sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons are counted. Emergency and domestic violence shelters and transitional housing (TH) programs report on the number of persons sheltered on the night of the count. (Persons in emergency shelters and TH are still considered homeless because although they are sheltered, they are not housed). There is also a concerted effort to count the unsheltered (street) homeless.
In 2015, the PIT indicated 227 individuals were sheltered and 10 individuals were unsheltered homeless. In 2016, the PIT indicated 153 individuals sheltered and 21 unsheltered. It is unclear whether the increase in unsheltered homeless was an actual increase or reflected the increased effort to locate unsheltered homeless persons (with the support of outreach workers more encampments had been identified).
The Central Virginia Continuum of Care resource fair, Sharing the Love in Central Virginia, will host approximately 20 service agencies and mainstream resources to assist the homeless and unstably housed persons/families. The Free Clinic, Horizon and Johnson Health Center will provide health screenings, DMV Connect will provide ID services, a local salon will provide haircuts, and the Region 2000 Workforce Center will provide employment services.
Other community organizations are collecting underwear and hygiene kits for distribution. Signs will also indicate where people can obtain coats and other outerwear.