RICHMOND, Va. -- As questions swirl about what's happening with Richmond's inclement weather shelters, unhoused families said a lack of support for the city's homeless population has left them feeling uncared for.
Under the roof of a local motel, dozens of individuals experiencing homelessness found temporary solace through the holiday season thanks to a community non-profit.
“It means everything because most people don't think about the elements as their enemy," said Donna Coleman, who lost her home during the pandemic. "They have a place to be and if you're in a situation where you don't, it's hard to climb out of. It really is."
Coleman described the events that led to becoming homeless as "one thing on top of another" and a lack of resources. Since then, she said surviving through the night is a constant challenge.
“Street homelessness is actually precarious. It's dangerous. You’re a victim to whoever wants to victimize you," Coleman said. "There's people on the street living by street rules. None of those rules are normal societal rules."
Facing a similar situation, Rachell Fleming said she's been homeless for six months. As she wanders in and out of hotel rooms, the safety of her two children remains her biggest worry.
"It’s a struggle. It’s hard especially when you have kids, because I’ve been calling around to shelters, and it’s hard to even get into shelters with kids," Fleming said. "It's not even about me, it's about them."
And one couple with four young kids, who wished to remain anonymous, said they're running into roadblocks finding aid due to the stigma surrounding homeless people and a lack of affordable housing.
“We’re not to be looked down upon. Everybody has their times when they’re going through something," the couple said. "They look at homeless people, and it's like, 'Oh, if we get them any funds or if we give them any resources, they're going to do something wrong with it.'"
Each family said they don't believe the local government is doing enough to help.
When an arctic blast hit Central Virginia just before Christmas, Richmond was supposed to have opened four overnight inclement weather shelters. However, it only opened two.
Both shelters quickly reached capacity, leaving many wondering where they'd sleep amid dangerously low temperatures.
“It is a problem, and believe me, in the shelters and on the street, everybody's talking about it," Coleman said.
"I would like for the city to know that y'all have the resources to help people here in the streets, but they just don't want to give it," said the anonymous couple.
To help make up for the city's shortfall, Dr. Arlene Simmons with the non-profit Humanitarian Ambassadors of America Community Development Corporation stepped up to shelter Coleman, Fleming, and dozens of others.
Simmons said she provided 37 motel rooms for 90 people beginning Christmas Eve using thousands of her own private funds and with no support from the city. She said all but five individuals she assisted were from Richmond.
"The dynamics are astounding. We didn't even touch the biggest part of this. There are so many people that are on the streets, that are in the abandoned buildings and burned out churches, just everywhere," Simmons said. "It's a crisis."
Simmons said her organization has been in operation for more than two decades and is well-equipped to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.
However, when asked why the city did not provide support to Simmons, a spokesperson said, while well-intentioned, the organization lacked case management and staffing to support its effort.
“We've been doing this a long time. I’ve done it all up and down the East Coast, and so, to see that they are reactive, instead of being proactive, it’s just astounding to me," Simmons said, adding that her organization does provide case management.
Moving forward, some Richmond Councilmembers are calling for a full investigation into how the city administration is managing its cold weather shelters and what they said were "preventable failures" during the most recent cold weather emergency.
Dr. Simmons said she supports that effort and is demanding accountability from city leadership.
“This has been for over a month because we knew the weather was coming, and so, for over a month we've been trying to get answers. There are no answers," Simmons said. “So, I think the mayor needs to step up.”
When asked for a statement directly from Mayor Levar Stoney, his press secretary Jim Nolan sent a statement attributed to the mayor's administration.
It noted the city opened a daytime warming shelter, which did not remain open overnight, at City Hall on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Nolan said the city also provided 24-hour shelter for more than 100 single men and women for multiple days when the weather was cold. He said the administration is working with 20 additional families to help them find permanent housing.
"Just two weeks ago, the City Council approved over $4 million in additional funding for our Inclement Weather Shelters and to expand services in the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care. The City of Richmond has invested more in homeless services than any other locality in Central Virginia," Nolan said.
A clear timeline for when the rest of the city's shelters will be ready to open remains unclear as more temperatures below freezing are expected again this weekend.
Simmons said her greatest need is funding. Donations can be received at the following website, https://www.haacdc.com/donate, or by calling 804-303-3388.
