[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6666762,"mediaKeyId","2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c","parentId",2312588,"title","City staff say review of water‑outage aid applications is ongoing; thousands of requests received","audioSeconds",467,"startMs",3024000,"endMs",3491000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c&start=3024&end=3491","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c/thumbnail_3024000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6666762/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/City-staff-say-review-of-wateroutage-aid-applications-is-ongoing-thousands-of-requests-received","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6666762-09ab69777f0ff9f3e02eeb1d9fc12a33/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140896&Signature=XHX~mZDYr8egn93KscHZ8vOo6~~1fb1sz7VTvHfYj0lDDFu04p~WLzvH9g1pRPNUnChL3bE2PZY0C2kZDqGgsBxen2XFzFLYf~iyYqkMwATjNKW5TQv2YTcBpbV5tN1ox8I-xk2Xuv-azA~cG5rX4OLbcRzkeQXIrh~uJx5ia41n0LTtYYXSqxUceyleOJIR6jIpNkuVFeulpsKoWOQcf0Crh-1psbJs-3jJZr~Q89H6gdCRyhxWAIP9aOKSpZjZbDy0bUCY8KaV4tFdSTw7suzMtHM8Ij-U1d81Oa879b7Rrd5OPmdQkUBVoGO9BDSbqtYw9A-6mBbOftihUWwRGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","Council staff and administrators updated the Education and Human Services Standing Committee on the city’s Family Crisis Fund, which the city used to accept requests for assistance after a recent water outage.

Council staff said administrators opened the Family Crisis Fund application window on Jan. 31 and closed it on Feb. 3 and that “thousands” of requests were submitted. Staff said they are actively reviewing applications, verifying eligibility with referral partners and contacting creditors when necessary to confirm debts. Staff cautioned the committee that processing payments takes time because of the large volume of applications and the need to verify documents and creditor information.

Eva Cohen said the Family Crisis Fund’s purpose and payment criteria did not change for the water‑outage response; the fund continues to be available for rent, mortgage, car repairs, medical bills and other qualified debts. She clarified that the eviction‑diversion fund is managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development and a separate partner organization.

Staff committed to return with more specific statistics — including median or average payment amounts — once review of all applications is complete.

Ending: Committee members requested a follow‑up report with summarized payment metrics and an accounting of how the Family Crisis Fund and eviction diversion programs are being used to target the same households.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Education and Human Services Committee Meeting-February 13, 2025 2:00 p.m. - Feb 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Staff told the committee the city received a large volume of Family Crisis Fund requests after a water outage, is verifying eligibility and debts, and will process payments after verification; staff said the fund’s criteria have not changed and that eviction‑diversion funds are managed separately.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6666766,"City staff outline $1 million early‑childhood trust fund, 60 subsidized slots and priorities for infants and family‑home providers",1161,2414000,3575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c&start=2414&end=3575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c/thumbnail_2414000.jpg","/articles/6666766/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/City-staff-outline-1-million-earlychildhood-trust-fund-60-subsidized-slots-and-priorities-for-infants-and-familyhome-providers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6666766-493dcccfaa05e9d968eadcad7f2463b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140896&Signature=RteLacpkexV7PJgch7ID1RcW-HHXMBKvfVBa1MoAynuwo99vXcM3FMgBkIIRW~DL-jOdnGEGUhrUjqJNvBE96-qRBss-N1ivW7T~PX3liBdFGmaeCOohdrEWGxZs14EQNRJC10vMa~qRQPhmQTQ22sNS3tQOhHzqIz3hBDPBQqwhg7FCHNFR5aqSl7L3aHQJIa2KxYpQ5Xd8NPgL~3E6pin4cqD-eY-ADSP~MtbZXxhUtP8xIhCcsPGggwNbmjZFYoWJ5lDuZ2MyrkUHBPSmVr4PQ4Ufke5RzaY0uRupvtT1Yaq~Hu~tmpx1jp0pb-w2R~AbKc5V9~AWopC-4aanPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eva Cohen, senior policy adviser leading the Office of Children and Families, and staff from Thrive Birth to 5 briefed the committee on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Trust Fund. The trust fund received $1 million in fiscal year 2025 funding to expand subsidized early‑care slots in community settings.

Cohen said the city chose Thrive Birth to 5 as the trust fund administrator to leverage the organization’s existing mixed‑delivery administration and quality‑monitoring capacity. The contract allows up to 10% of grant funds for administrative costs to support outreach and provider technical assistance.

Staff explained the trust fund’s near‑term focus: infants and toddlers, family‑home providers (family day homes), therapeutic programs for children who experienced trauma, and cost‑of‑quality reimbursements to better cover true operating costs. Using a state cost model, staff cited annual program operating cost estimates of about $23,196 per infant and $14,300 per preschooler; the trust fund’s initial $1 million purchase equated to roughly 60 subsidized slots under the chosen allocations.

Cohen presented slot and program tallies the city is tracking: 767 children under age 5 in the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP), about 46 in Early Head Start, 507 in Head Start, 276 in mixed‑delivery slots, and 622 in the Virginia Preschool Initiative. She and councilmembers discussed declining kindergarten enrollment trends and the need to reconcile enrollment and eligibility data across Richmond Public Schools, Richmond DSS and other partners.

Committee members asked staff to pull additional penetration data — for example, how many children attached to local TANF cases are age 0–5, how many active DSS vouchers exist year‑to‑date, and how RPS manages and allocates Head Start and VPI slots. Cohen said those data requests will be treated as follow‑ups and that the trust fund includes an annual needs assessment in Thrive’s contract to identify access gaps and root causes.

Cohen acknowledged the trust fund produced a small number of slots relative to city need but said the choice favored immediate placement over longer‑term capacity investments: “We wanted to prioritize getting slots into community provider settings as quickly as possible so we could serve kids with need right away,” she said.

Ending: Staff said they will return with refined cost‑of‑quality figures, penetration analysis requested by council members, and additional dashboard metrics to track eligible populations, program fills and geographic access.","The city’s Early Childhood Care and Education Trust Fund will use $1 million to subsidize roughly 60 slots, prioritize infants and toddlers, and route administration through Thrive Birth to 5; staff emphasized cost‑of‑quality figures and asked for data on eligible populations and provider capacity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6666771,"Richmond officials outline expansion of guaranteed‑income pilot; city will fund fourth cohort",291,837000,1128000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c&start=837&end=1128","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c/thumbnail_837000.jpg","/articles/6666771/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Richmond-officials-outline-expansion-of-guaranteedincome-pilot-city-will-fund-fourth-cohort","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6666771-1cf1f2012072e6738f367856fa064201/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140896&Signature=mCMN2j6G1lmQ64bgal~SOoViiAYuTyoytIMBUoAzTsbRq2gYnRwEIBYjvBoAdFG2i88EaPIdSr6DtZ2xxbXW~aJcTm~2T2ibH6GdvTt6EMfiVx8ZmZ3AQ2KtxjCRtBtQUslRWJS2Na9B7NJUxGf4eMmp7TaxZ1FjtsoVnkLNU8DKTd11r0p-nH2O-zsAG2hQccD6iEehPSNHJgfdDPDJogTp7S7JFjRHk2s~mOWTrQxp8dQF~ISYR-ENp6opE5BC8Mu37xR5C1kZaIXmGM83KoQD80YEXOxIbFE0C0xPVsw6auDwg~BHCJztNCJp~7oJk2KEQvht~nGontwIQ0sEBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Derek Wadley, program and operations supervisor for the Office of Community Wealth Building and program manager for the Richmond Resilience Initiative (RRI), briefed the Education and Human Services Standing Committee on the program’s design, evidence and next steps.

Wadley described RRI as “designed to specifically help working individuals who earn above the threshold of public assistance, but still struggle to meet the financial needs and their obligations.” He said the program provides $500 a month in unconditional cash payments for 24 months to eligible Richmond residents.

Wadley reviewed past cohorts and funding sources: the first cohort (2020–2022) included 18 participants funded by philanthropic partners including the Robins Foundation and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income; a second cohort served about 46 participants with added community foundation support; and a third cohort worked with returned citizens using ARPA funds and the Help Me Help You Foundation. He thanked the council for allocating $500,000 to fund a fourth cohort, which staff said will be limited to 40 participants and targeted to single parents.

Wadley and colleagues described evaluation partnerships. The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research produced an impact report on RRI’s first cohort that staff said showed increases in savings, reduced debt and improved credit among participants. Richmond staff are working with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Research Institute for Social Equity to design a longitudinal study of the second and third cohorts.

On eligibility and targeting, Wadley said the fourth cohort will require city residency, at least one child 18 or younger in the household, employment earning at least $12.71 per hour but below the City of Richmond’s estimated living wage. In the presentation, staff cited a living‑wage figure for a single individual of $21.85 per hour and, as described in the briefing, income caps listed by household size: a single individual with one child could earn up to $36.28 an hour, a single individual with two children up to $45.81 an hour, and with three children up to $59.04 an hour (figures stated in the presentation).

Councilmembers asked about community involvement in participant recruitment, evaluation metrics, and overhead costs. Wadley said recruitment will run through community partner organizations as well as a site and application through the Office of Community Wealth Building for those needing paper applications. On overhead he estimated third‑party distribution fees of roughly 5% and said the remainder of the $500,000 would be used for participant stipends.

Several councilmembers and staff noted the program’s aim to move from piloting toward policy and broader advocacy at the state and federal level. Staff said they would provide the University of Pennsylvania cohort report and subsequent evaluation results when available.

Ending: Staff committed to follow up with detailed budgeting and evaluation plans and to provide the committee copies of the University of Pennsylvania report and future VCU research deliverables.","Office of Community Wealth Building staff reviewed the Richmond Resilience Initiative’s past cohorts, research partnerships and eligibility for a fourth cohort the city will support with $500,000; staff emphasized program objectives, evaluation partnerships and plans to target single parents.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6666775,"Residents and shelter staff raise safety and food access concerns as city runs overflow shelter",3131,130000,3261000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c&start=130&end=3261","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2312588-41d70d16c409851a14de636966e9284c/thumbnail_130000.jpg","/articles/6666775/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Residents-and-shelter-staff-raise-safety-and-food-access-concerns-as-city-runs-overflow-shelter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6666775-9102246b729e3215748d4a0545984134/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140896&Signature=K8XtnzO9p8rl7xWeHyFEpY2Csdws-pLvGDDnbanL6XLyixcvxIXkEH1m~LRRrRFe5cSmiCP-505Tzc-qaTXn~xTkqM~6fd0KlyPn6S3Q7~YLFdLNiv-w0jLuC6Icw8WuWOCTveYWNNHzY3Ri5wvWXt5aC1iv2nJvZsXWP94uIql45yfsQwTtdy~Io2vFXuc-X70P6tXqBUpnTuInLHjosUPoJYv-PTkt9RsFvCLat57GKZWT7EHdvIx18ZjhUk7hMVQxR928JSfGMUME1g1zQQ2D1jJZiZ3D6hmNIygiwY6GRvbvWzq1uN-Uv9Vnxn9O88vno9FBGGiHUVUhoahL3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public comment and staff updates at a Richmond Education and Human Services Standing Committee meeting focused on safety and care at the city’s interim and overflow shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Multiple community members described incidents they said occurred at city-contracted shelter sites. Nancy Williams, who identified herself as representing 3 Gifts 2 U, said people placed in hotels were not consistently receiving meals: “If you want to provide the services, providing food for your clients is part of the the ordeal,” she told the committee. Bridget Whitaker, who said she is a security officer, urged the city to improve hiring and procedures, saying, “We have a powder keg situation ready to blow.” Leron Gibson, who said he had seen video of a morning incident, called the footage “very unprofessional” and urged immediate action.

Tiffany Ford, director of the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, said the city opened a 60‑bed inclement‑weather overflow shelter this week and reached as many as 50 guests at peak occupancy, including 45 men and five women. Ford said the city has worked with regional partners to staff the site and credited volunteers and partner agencies for providing meals and clothing. She said the current shelter is the third iteration and that staff have tightened standard operating procedures and done shift‑level briefings to address problems.

Ford addressed a specific complaint about a security guard. Ford said Diane Wilmore, a shelter shift lead, intervened in the incident and the city removed the guard from that shelter. “We called the company, and asked them not to put her on anything that dealt with us going forward,” Ford said. She added that the city dismissed the guard from shelter duty and will not use that employee in future shelter shifts. The committee heard multiple public commenters urge stronger training and more experienced security or mental‑health staff at shelter locations.

Speakers at public comment described an episode in which a mother and six children were told they could not stay in a shelter space if they intended to leave before morning; commenters said the family feared child‑protective action and as a result would not return to shelter. Community members also said untrained or young security staff had threatened residents; one commenter said she had video showing a guard telling people “I have a gun, and I will use it.” Ford said staff had investigated and would apply clarified protocols going forward.

Committee members and staff repeatedly framed the problems as regional and systemic, not solvable by the city alone. Ford said Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield counties had provided staff support and called for broader, sustained regional partnership and funding to support year‑round sheltering, outreach, and mental‑health resources.

The committee scheduled a regional stakeholder town‑hall on March 20 to solicit input about homeless‑services models and potential solutions, and members asked staff to return with operational details on shelter staffing, security contracting, and referral protocols.

Ending: Committee members thanked the public speakers for detailed accounts and called for continued follow‑up; staff said they would return with more precise operational data and requested a list of videos and incident reports for the city’s review.","Public commenters and city staff described multiple incidents at Richmond overflow shelters, including alleged security-guard threats, families denied short-term entry, and ongoing operational strain; city staff say the shelter reached 50 guests of a 60-bed capacity and that a security worker was removed after a reported threat.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff say review of water‑outage aid applications is ongoing; thousands of requests received

City staff outline $1 million early‑childhood trust fund, 60 subsidized slots and priorities for infants and family‑home providers

Richmond officials outline expansion of guaranteed‑income pilot; city will fund fourth cohort

Residents and shelter staff raise safety and food access concerns as city runs overflow shelter