Inclement weather shelters in Richmond open Friday

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -As we get deeper into the winter months, Richmond finally has the space to help those out in the cold without a roof over their heads.

A new inclement weather shelter is opening its doors Friday, Dec. 1, as the city has been working with a handful of nonprofits to help the growing homeless population. The Salvation Army is playing a main role in the shelter’s opening, as it has been working around the clock to get the beds ready since city council approved the funding for it all two weeks ago.

There will be enough room for 150 people at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue. 110 beds for men in a big open space, and 40 beds for women split up into smaller rooms.

The space is an inclement weather shelter, open from December to April when the nights get colder. Free meals will be provided to people staying there, too. The Salvation Army is also working to get showers there, but for now, there are just bathrooms without them.

“While shelter support is a temporary remedy for those in the crisis, it is an entry point to get people back on the path of stability,” Mayor Levar Stoney said.

Councilwoman Ann Frances Lambert says the space has been in limbo for the past nine months as it awaited approval from all of council to make the funding happen. City leaders also had to meet with neighbors and businesses in the area, as many expressed safety concerns in the past months when they heard a shelter could open in their neighborhood.

“We said that we were able to meet some of those requests, obviously, no matter what neighborhood we go into, it’s not just this situation right here,” Stoney said. “We’re never gonna be able to do every single thing. But there are some common sense things that we can do as a city to meet their needs.”

For now, the site is only open part of the year, as the council approved, but staff with the Salvation Army say they would love to see it open year-round and will work towards that opportunity.

The organization HomeAgain also helps those experiencing homelessness and is opening a new shelter on Dec. 1 as well.

Theirs is for moms and families and will be located at 7 North 2nd Street, blocks away from one of their other locations. This space can fit up to 50 people.

“Our current family shelter is at capacity. It always is. So that tells you right there that there is still an unmet need here in Richmond,” Executive Director for Home Again Mandy Herbert said.

A year-round shelter allows families to stay for more extended periods of time, whereas an inclement weather shelter only houses people overnight unless the conditions outside become more extreme.

The inclement weather shelter will open at 5 p.m., and people must leave by 8 a.m. the following day.

The two new sites represent a joint effort to help those without a roof over their head. The Greater Richmond Continuum of Care says the latest count of the population of those experiencing homelessness is around 700 people in the city of Richmond.

“Time will tell whether or not we have enough beds,” Annette Cousins with the Greater Richmond Area Continuum of Care said. “One bed throughout the course of a year does not just serve one individual, it will serve somewhere between seven and nine individuals over the course of a year. So, when you think about the number of people who are homeless, you have to multiply.”