Our Vision

The root cause of family homelessness can be attributed to a myriad of circumstances. Families may become homeless after suffering a crisis such as loss of a job, domestic violence, an accident, illness, mental illness, or substance abuse. It can also be an economic spiral where they find themselves unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, healthcare, and other essentials due to the crisis. Family members are sometimes born into a cycle of homelessness due to a lack of financial literacy or decisions that may have led to the abuse of social support networks. According to Homeward 2020 Impact Services, the Homeless Crisis Line (HCL) recorded that 623 families including 1,206 children met the criteria of homelessness or are within 3 days of losing housing in the Richmond area and 1,274 client’s prior residence was not meant for human habitation. Of those children, only 792 were connected to community resources. Due to a lack of adequate accommodations in year 2020, 414 children or 199 families may have had to find shelter in hotels, their vehicles, and sometimes the couches or floors of others. Without strong support programs and networks, families may find the road back to stability long and very difficult.