Residents press council on chronic homelessness, safety and services

Two speakers used the public‑comment period March 17 to press Roanoke City Council on growing homelessness and public-safety concerns.

Sarah Totree, identifying herself as a Roanoke resident and researcher, said homelessness in the Roanoke Valley rose 20.6% between 2023 and 2024 to at least 402 individuals and urged the council to distinguish between those experiencing short‑term economic hardship and a chronically unsheltered population she said is driven by substance abuse and severe mental illness. She argued that a “housing first” approach does not address root causes for chronically unsheltered people and said some jurisdictions that adopted similar policies saw higher overdose rates in certain settings; she offered to supply her sources to the clerk for the record.

Another resident described recent violent incidents and said repeat violent offenders with long criminal records had been on city streets, urging stronger police enforcement and court‑mandated treatment rather than releasing repeat offenders to the sidewalks. The speaker characterized current policies as “suicidal empathy” that enable recidivism and said Roanoke has become a regional magnet for transient homelessness, a claim made as personal observation.

Council action: No formal action or vote followed these comments at the March 17 meeting. Speakers asked the council to act decisively on public safety and addiction-treatment policies; the council did not announce immediate policy changes in response.

Clarifying note: The homelessness percentage (20.6%) and the count of “at least 402 individuals” were presented by a public commenter; transcript statements and cited studies offered by speakers were not adjudicated at the meeting and would require verification from point‑in‑time counts and official shelter/provider data.