RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmonders Involved in Strengthening Our Communities (RISC) will meet Tuesday night to talk about affordable housing and gun violence.
Marvin Gilliam Jr. with RISC estimated at least 400 people will attend the meeting at 7 pm. at Second Baptist Church Southside on Broad Rock Boulevard.
The group will discuss affordable and healthy housing. Nearly 7,000 people in Metro Richmond are living in mobile homes that are falling apart, according to RISC. The majority of those families are Latino.
RISC was able to get the city to pass a budget amendment for $300,000 to go toward mobile home repairs and replacements.
The money has not yet been allocated.
Gilliam, who serves on the RISC gun violence steering committee, said another major focus will be on gun violence.
The group will begin implementing GVI or Group Violence Intervention after securing half of the funding from U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber.
GVI is based on Operation Ceasefire in Boston from the 1990s which resulted in a 63 percent reduction in youth homicides.
Gilliam also taught in Richmond Public Schools and saw the impact of violence firsthand.
“Knowing the number of former students that I taught and interacted with that have been killed due to gun violence. This is a major issue and it's causing major trauma in our city for young people, for families,” he explained. “People are scared about going out and this is something that we really have to tackle.”
He said the status quo cannot continue.
Congressman Donald McEachin (D-Richmond) is also scheduled to attend, and anyone is welcome to join in on the conversations.
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