VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach is asking for help from the public gathering information on where individuals experiencing homelessness in the city may be living without shelter.
Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation is preparing for the 2025 Point-in-Time Count of the homeless population, an exercise that is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development because the city receives federal funding for homelessness programs. The count gathers demographic information and data to understand the scope of homelessness, reveal trends and identify opportunities to address the needs of the population.
The city has created an online tool where people can provide information about where they have seen people living without shelter. Users of the tool do not need an account. They can zoom in on a map of Virginia Beach using a road map or satellite view, click “Add point,” and add the point with or without comment. The tool asks users to include the date they observed people living there in the comment box and add any additional details that may help identify the location and situation.
This year’s Point-in-Time Count is set for Jan. 23. Staff and volunteers will canvass the city – trekking up and down the boardwalk, walking through woods and driving around parking lots. When individuals experiencing homelessness are found, they are offered resources in addition to being surveyed.
The city’s Homeless Outreach Team regularly engages unsheltered individuals, assesses their needs and offers connections to services. The online map is intended to enhance these efforts, the city stated in a press release about the count. The Point-in-Time Count located 311 people experiencing homelessness in Virginia Beach last year.
Input should be submitted by Dec. 1. For assistance with the tool, you can contact Stacey Leary at 757-385-5161 or SLeary@VBgov.com.
For more ways to give help and join the community effort on making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring in Virginia Beach, visit BEACHCommunityPartnership.org.
