NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Program directors of the PORT (People Offering Resources Together) winter shelter program in Newport News project there could be as many as 775 unhoused guests through the program's sheltering efforts this winter season, a potential increase from last year.
Across Newport News, there are 20 churches in the city that rotate sheltering the city's unhoused population between November and March.
The program, brought on by a collaboration of multiple partnerships and agencies, has completed three weeks of the 20-week schedule. So far, it has registered 250 unhoused guests with 15 weeks until PORT's closure, averaging 80 people per day, including veterans and children.
“We're seeing more veterans now than I've seen in the past," said Elmer Woodard the deacon at the First Baptist Church in Denbigh. First Baptist is where the Week 5 rotation will begin for PORT.
"Families, more whole families than what I've seen in the past," he added.
Last winter season, PORT saw more than 700 unhoused guests, with fewer than 40 of them being veterans and 41 being children. The projection for this year is 25-30 veterans, as well as 45-50 children.
"Landlords are increasing rent to an all-time high. Affordable housing is non-existent. So many people are just one paycheck away from being homeless," said Interim Executive Director for LINK of Hampton Roads.
This comes as the Department of Housing and Urban Development this year reported an increase of homelessness in Virginia, estimating a roughly thousand-person increase and a rate of homelessness that rose from 6.8 to 7.8 over 10,000 people overall.
Parker added that the emergency and community services division is in desperate need of canned vegetables, canned meat, and canned fruit. Donations are accepted at 10413 Warwick Boulevard in Newport News.
The full schedule of the PORT program's sheltering efforts can be found through LINK of Hampton Roads.