Study finds homelessness rising on Virginia Peninsula; consultants urge housing-focused investments

Consultants from Viam Advising presented findings from the Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Study to the Hampton City Council on May 20, outlining rising homelessness across the region and recommending a housing‑centered response that prioritizes rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing before major emergency‑shelter investments.

The study projects a roughly 15% year‑over‑year increase in calls classified as “literally homeless” to the Peninsula housing crisis hotline for the next three years and estimates more than 2,000 individuals experience homelessness on the Peninsula annually, with Newport News and Hampton bearing the greatest burden. Consultant Sean Griffin said the data show homelessness is increasing, that chronic homelessness and length of homelessness are growing, and that the system faces a significant racial disparity.

The study identified three main drivers on the Peninsula: rapid rent and home‑value inflation concentrated in historically more affordable neighborhoods (particularly Newport News and Hampton), limited multifamily zoning, and gaps in services capacity for people with high acuity needs. Griffin told council that roughly one in five people experiencing homelessness have severe mental illness or chronic substance‑use disorders and require intensive supportive services; the other 80% typically need quick moves back into housing and stabilization without intensive behavioral‑health services.

Why it matters: The consultants recommended system changes intended to reduce inflow and shorten homelessness episodes. Top recommendations include creating a system transformation plan, committing housing resources to the coordinated entry system to avoid “workarounds,” meeting modeled targets for rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing, and pursuing a regional financial strategy aligned across jurisdictions. Griffin also urged zoning changes to increase multifamily and higher‑density housing in the long term, noting that without housing units to move people into, system reforms will be limited in impact.

Hampton city manager Mary Bunting said regional conversations about emergency sheltering are ongoing even though the consultants prioritized rehousing first. “We don’t think it’s either/or,” Bunting told council, adding that Hampton and Newport News will continue conversations about potential regional shelter options while also pursuing system and rehousing changes.

Local human services director Dr. Tamara Timoni Porter described how Hampton currently operates within the regional continuum of care. She outlined the locally run housing crisis hotline (operating Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.), the HMIS (Housing Management Information System) intake process, outreach partnerships with police and the Community Services Board, rapid rehousing, prevention programs and permanent supportive housing. Dr. Timoni Porter noted federal program definitions and timeframes limit which households qualify for certain funds (for example, the 14‑day imminent‑risk standard or 60‑day definitions used for some youth and families). She said local staff are working with regional partners to align services and identify flexible local funding to help households who fall outside strict federal definitions.

The presenters and council members raised operational limits and barriers: consultants warned that creating an emergency shelter without sufficient rehousing capacity would likely bottleneck the system; council members and staff pointed to landlord reluctance to rent to people with prior eviction or housing damage histories; Dr. Timoni Porter said limited staffing (three dedicated housing staff in the city program) and narrow federal eligibility rules constrain response options. She reported FY24 prevention allocations at about $76,000 (approximately $53,000 spent), a rapid‑rehousing allocation of $57,000 (spent a little over that), outreach funding of about $54,000, and a Peninsula point‑in‑time count of 412 persons in January 2024 (a 14% decrease from 480 in 2023), while noting point‑in‑time counts exclude people doubled up or couch‑surfing.

Council members asked for more demographic detail; the consultants said demographic survey results exist and can be supplied. The consultants and staff said they will produce operational recommendations and options for council and managers in the coming weeks; the manager said human‑services directors and assistant managers will deliver strategic recommendations within 90 days.

Ending: Council did not act on a specific policy or funding change during the work session; staff and regional partners will return with implementation proposals and a near‑term plan to improve coordinated entry, outreach coverage and rehousing capacity.