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4Kids asks Norfolk to fund regional housing crisis hotline as calls surge
Summary
A 4Kids representative told council the regional housing crisis hotline answered 82,000 calls in 2024 and that Norfolk accounts for 27% of calls; the group asked the city to include direct funding in the FY2026 budget to avoid service cuts amid anticipated safety-net reductions.
Thaler McCormick, representing 4Kids, asked Norfolk City Council on May 20 to fund the regional housing crisis hotline in the FY2026 budget, saying the hotline answered 82,000 calls in calendar year 2024 and that Norfolk accounted for 27% of the total call volume.
McCormick told the council the hotline, started more than 15 years ago in partnership with Norfolk, now covers 14 cities and counties in Hampton Roads and fields 300–400 calls on a typical day; on one recent day it answered 391 calls with an average wait time of 1 minute 28 seconds. She said the hotline is a “national model” and warned that planned cuts to housing, health care, food assistance, utilities and child care would rapidly increase demand for the service.
“My Norfolk citizens choose between paying for medications or food and paying the rent,” McCormick said; she told council that municipal funding is needed to keep the hotline operating and urged an allocation in the FY2026 budget.
Council did not adopt a specific new line-item at the meeting tied to McCormick’s request; budget adoption was completed the same night. The transcript shows McCormick’s request was presented during the public-comment period and referenced as council continued budget discussions.
