The director of Charlottesville’s Department of Human Services briefed City Council on programs that address youth and family services, adult outreach, housing navigation and the Anchor rapid-outreach model, and asked elected officials to consider additional funding for key programs during the budget process.

Director Graves described five strategic goals — including a streamlined system of care for youth, expanded outreach to promote resilience and self-sufficiency, and stronger partnerships with local providers. He reported service counts for the prior fiscal year: the foster-care program served 101 youth across the city and nearby jurisdictions with 68 percent of placements in kinship homes; community-based youth programs served about 1,421 youth; a community resource hotline facilitated about 800 requests representing roughly $679,000 in financial assistance for 421 Charlottesville households, with 73% of requests for housing needs.

Graves said the small housing navigation program served about 52 individuals in short-term emergency hotel stays and that staff are pursuing regional grant opportunities to expand kinship and family‑finding work. He described Anchor’s first-year outcomes as providing live outreach contacts and follow-ups, with the department proposing an expanded Anchor in fiscal year 2027 for broader outreach. “That team can go out to areas where there are individuals who are homeless … and be able to try to connect people with services in a different way,” a councilor said during discussion.

Graves noted partnerships with the UVA School of Nursing and the West Haven Care Center, local reentry services and an age‑friendly alliance. Staff described near‑term hires, including a deputy director for adult‑centered services, and exploration of a master-leasing program to increase housing navigation capacity.

Council members commended staff and urged constituents to continue advocacy for budget support; one councilor explicitly urged the public to press council during the budget cycle to add funding for the Anchor team. Director Graves said staff will return with proposals and noted that several implementation activities depend on hiring and grant success.