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VM Advising study finds rising homelessness on Virginia Peninsula, calls for regional system changes
Summary
A consultant team presenting to the Newport News City Council said homelessness on the Peninsula is increasing, with Newport News and Hampton carrying the greatest burden. The study recommends a regional financing strategy, zoning changes to allow higher-density housing, and a system transformation plan.
VM Advising presented findings from its 2024 Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Study to the Newport News City Council on May 13, saying homelessness is increasing on the Peninsula and urging regional coordination and structural changes to the local homeless response system.
The study found rising housing costs since 2019, projected higher demand for crisis housing help, and uneven service coverage. "Since 2019, we've seen very high rental and home value inflation, and Newport News and Hampton experienced the highest proportional increases," said Sean Griffith, a consultant with VM Advising. The study projected a 15% increase in call volume to crisis hotlines for households meeting HUD's definition of literal homelessness and estimated more than 2,000 people experience homelessness on the Peninsula over the course of a year.
VM Advising said its analysis combined publicly available data, homeless response system data and geospatial zoning analysis, and incorporated interviews, focus…
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