Public urges immediate sheltering as committee and city describe shelter capacity, coordinated-entry limits and EBT theft spike

Public commentators, service providers and city officials pressed Richmond City Council's Education and Human Services Committee on urgent shelter needs and a recent spike in stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during a meeting that followed a boards-and-commissions agenda item.

Speakers representing grassroots groups, shelters and legal-aid organizations described people sleeping outside in freezing temperatures and urged the city to extend and expand shelter options and front-door access to services. Several asked the committee to convene stakeholders and to pursue immediate, interim options such as emergency hoteling and faith‑based partnerships while working toward long‑term deeply affordable housing solutions.

Residents and advocates gave detailed accounts of outreach and gaps in service. Tracy Hartney Scott, housing chair for the Virginia State Conference NAACP in Richmond, said, “The people living on the streets absolutely cannot wait any longer.” Beth Van Turnbull, executive director of Housing Families First, said the shelter she runs moves families to permanent housing and emphasized that both shelter and…