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…