Roanoke, Virginia – The escalating issue of homelessness in Roanoke Valley is presently drawing significant attention from both civic leaders and local residents.
Recent statistics from the Blue Ridge Continuum of Care’s Point-in-Time Count indicate a substantial 54% surge in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness within the last year.
As per the latest data collected in January 2023, 334 individuals were documented as homeless in the Roanoke Valley, a marked rise from 216 the previous year in 2022.
Matt Crookshank, the leader of Roanoke’s Homeless Assistance Team, shared his concerns, noting, “Pretty significant. I think several factors are at play. I think that our pandemic-related mostly and I think kind of a reflection of structural challenges like our affordable housing supply for low-income populations.”
Furthermore, another escalating trend is the increasing number of homeless individuals seeking shelter at Roanoke’s Rescue Mission. In January 2023, the institution recorded 222 guests, marking an 89% increase from the 117 guests registered in 2022.
Kevin Berry, the Rescue Mission’s Director of Communications, views this rise as a positive sign, remarking, “And that’s a good thing because what that means is that the work organizations are doing to keep people off the street, that’s working. So, things like our medical street outreach, that’s working.”
When queried about the initiatives city leaders are undertaking to combat the rise in homelessness, Crookshank points to systemic challenges as the most formidable barriers, specifically inflation and the scarcity of affordable housing.
“Until we address those structural issues I think homelessness is going to exist at the scale it is now, unfortunately,” lamented Crookshank.
The complete Point-in-Time Report can be accessed here.
