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Residents press Hampton council to increase homelessness funding, open vacant buildings for shelter
Summary
Several residents urged the council to expand shelter options and funding for people experiencing homelessness, citing prior city spending of $33,890 and asking officials to consider $50,000–$75,000 and to use unused public buildings as temporary shelters.
During the public comment period, multiple residents urged the Hampton City Council to take more action to address homelessness and to increase funding and temporary shelter capacity.
Eddie Deerfield said he was speaking as a citizen and asked council to consider raising homelessness funding from a prior figure of $33,890 to between $50,000 and $75,000. "Last year you budgeted $33,890 and I am asking you to at least consider $50,000 to $75,000 this year," Deerfield said, and recommended the city consider using vacant school buildings or other large unused public buildings for shelter.
Mister Rudacille also urged the city to open empty public buildings for basic shelter and services, warned that the end of church-hosted overnight programs could leave people with nowhere to sleep and called for emergency preparedness to address greater homelessness. Rudacille described seeing people sleeping outdoors and expressed concern that vulnerable residents, including women and children, could be exposed to harm without shelter.
A separate public commenter, Mr. Boone, read a poem related to community and Martin Luther King Jr.; he asked his remarks be entered in the minutes. No formal council vote or staff direction was recorded on the topic during the meeting; the speakers requested the council consider both increased funding and use of city property as temporary shelter sites.
