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Regional homelessness coalition outlines school-linked housing supports; CASH served hundreds of local children this year
Summary
Representatives from the Crater Area Coalition on Homelessness briefed the Petersburg school board on the coalition’s services and how school staff can refer families; presenters said the CASH region served hundreds of children and dozens of households from Petersburg in 2024–25.
PETERSBURG, Va. — Representatives of the Crater Area Coalition on Homelessness (CASH) told the Petersburg school board Wednesday that the region’s coordinated services provide rapid rehousing, outreach and support for families experiencing homelessness and that school counselors and community schools are a primary referral source.
Dawn Scott, a homeless systems navigator, said CASH covers multiple localities, including Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Prince George, Surry and other neighboring localities. She described the coalition’s ‘‘Housing First’’ approach and listed services that include rapid rehousing, youth outreach, HUD-VASH vouchers for veterans, emergency shelter capacity and partner agencies focused on mental-health and domestic-violence services.
CASH staff presented recent service counts to the board. Between February and the following February, presenters said they served 243 children, 215 of whom were from Petersburg. For the July 1, 2024–June 10, 2025 reporting window staff reported serving 215 children under age 18 (213 from Petersburg) and 120 households with minor children (118 of those households from Petersburg). Presenters said families seeking short-term hotel assistance or placement should be referred through Community in Schools (CIS) counselors, who make referrals to CASH.
Tanya Mask and Kareema Davis, youth housing and outreach staff for Saint Joseph’s Villa/Flagler Housing, also described intake procedures and outreach to 18–24-year-old youth, respectively, and encouraged referrals from schools and community partners.
Board members asked several implementation questions: how referrals should be routed (school counselors and community schools are primary), whether CASH supports elementary students (some programs are targeted to middle/high but Catholic Charities and partner programs receive elementary referrals), and how families without stable contact information are located.
Presenters said referrals come most commonly from community schools and counselors and that staff coordinate with McKinney-Vento resources and partner agencies to place families. The presenters provided a contact email for the CASH director for follow-up referrals.
Superintendent Dr. Brandy Brown and board members thanked the presenters and encouraged school staff to use the referral pathways described during the summer and into the coming school year.
The board did not take action on the presentation but asked staff to maintain regular contact with CASH as they develop family-liaison roles and attendance supports.
