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United Way of the Virginia Peninsula outlines eviction-reduction, assistance network and youth-employment work
Summary
Sharvara West, president and CEO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, told Poquoson City Council on Oct. 11 that the organization's Community Assistance Network and eviction-reduction work have helped thousands on the Peninsula and that United Way mobilized more than $5 million last year.
Sharvara West, president and CEO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, told Poquoson City Council on Oct. 11 that the organization's Community Assistance Network (CAN) and eviction-reduction work have helped thousands of households on the Peninsula and that United Way is expanding services to reduce housing instability.
West said 41% of households on the Peninsula fall into categories the United Way calls "ALICE" (asset limited, income constrained, employed) or below, and that Poquoson specifically has a lower rate of households in need at 29% (data cited as published May 2024). She told council that since the CAN's inception through June 2025, more than 14,000 people have received assistance and that, in the most recent fiscal year, the network helped 11 households in Poquoson with nearly $10,000 mobilized through outcome-based referrals.
West described United Way's eviction-reduction pilot (launched 2020 with state support) and said the organization serves as a convener and funder, braiding state, private and local resources and routing them to vetted front-line agencies. She said landlord filings have fallen about 9% since 2023 and executed lockouts are down about 25% in the region the United Way tracks, and that the group recently hired the Peninsula's first post-eviction case manager to help families with children after an eviction occurs.
West also discussed youth initiatives, including the Peninsula Youth Collaborative and a youth employment pilot that connected 130 people ages 16 to 24 with seasonal work at Busch Gardens through a partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and roughly 70 nonprofit partners.
Council members asked clarifying questions; Mayor Hooks asked whether the 29% figure for Poquoson included ALICE and below, and West confirmed that it did and that the number was based on data published in May 2024. West encouraged continued partnership between the city and United Way to coordinate resources during disasters and everyday needs.
