Richmond’s Office of Homeless Services told the City Council on Monday that Richmond’s July 2025 point‑in‑time count found 680 people experiencing homelessness and that the city has expanded shelter and permanent supportive housing (PSH) capacity since 2020, but warned that federal funding changes and a recent contract lapse threaten services for hundreds.

Lisonbee Sailors, manager of the Office of Homeless Services, said the July count showed roughly half of the 680 people were unsheltered and about 45% reported Richmond as their last stable locality of housing. “About 25% of people surveyed in the PIT count were 60 years or older,” she said, noting older adults are the fastest‑growing group nationwide.

Sailors outlined the city’s housing and shelter inventory and recent gains: Richmond now has about 384 year‑round shelter beds (up from 335 in 2020), 166 inclement‑weather beds (up from 150), and regional totals of roughly 1,100 PSH units and 263 rapid‑rehousing slots. She said the city funded 100 of the year‑round beds and that Caritas will add a 60‑bed surge shelter beginning Dec. 1.

City staff flagged immediate and prospective federal risks. Sailors said SupportWorks’ HomeLink HUD direct contract expired on Oct. 31, 2025 “due to the government shutdown and lack of federal funding availability,” leaving 153 Richmond participants without November rent paid and affecting 105 landlords. She said SupportWorks had secured rental assistance for 14 participants through an MOU with another nonprofit and that city staff and partners have briefed state senators on the situation.

Sailors also warned about a possible FY25 Continuum of Care (COC) notice of funding opportunity that, as drafted, would reduce COC permanent housing allocations “from 87% to 30%,” a change she said could place up to 550 individuals and families at risk of losing housing and supportive services and would compress application timelines for providers.

Council members pressed staff about counting methods, family access to shelters and whether planned PSH projects are at risk. Sailors said the point‑in‑time count is understood to undercount some groups and that Homeward (the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care backbone) runs PIT surveys; she pledged to follow up with the Housing and Community Development Department on ARPA and other funding sources underpinning specific PSH projects.

City staff said last year’s inclement‑weather program served 948 individuals and that the city’s current shelter investment is “a little less than $3,000,000” annually. Staff said they will work with the COC and regional partners to quantify project‑level risks and to explore short‑ and long‑term coverage if federal funds are reduced.

The city said it expects to update the strategic plan to end homelessness in spring 2026 and will continue to coordinate regionally on shelter and housing approaches. The presentation closed with staff offering to return with more detailed funding and project‑level information.

What happens next: staff committed to follow up with Housing and Community Development and the COC on the origin of funding for planned PSH projects and on contingency plans should federal awards change.