RICHMOND, Va. — With temperatures dipping below freezing, advocates on Richmond's Southside are speaking out about the city's most vulnerable population.
Rhonda Sneed's and Nancy Williams' nonprofits work with Richmond's homeless population every day.
Both Sneed and Williams say the people they serve cannot get into the city's only walk-up inclement weather shelter on Chamberlayne Avenue.
It serves 60 men and 40 women and is almost always at capacity.
Watch: Richmond leaders unveil new center aimed at providing services for city;s homeless: 'It's what we needed'
"They're trying to get shelter wherever they can," Williams said.
Both also say the alternatives are not panning out either.
"I feed 300 people a day. We feed 300 people a day. So you take those 300 and if you only hold 100 in the shelter, where are the other 200 people at?" Sneed asked.
Sneed said she stayed on the phone with a hotline for the inclement weather shelter for hours trying to find other shelter options for people in need.
She's also worried about people being told the wrong information about where to go.
"I get calls from men telling me at 8 p.m., the shelter is full. Where can they go?" Sneed said.
Next Church RVA, which serves meals off Hull Street for folks either experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing, is opening its doors for anyone in need of a hot meal or temporary shelter during the day as the temperatures drop.
Mayor Levar Stoney said significant investments are going toward increasing bed space at shelters.
"It's never been a question of our compassion, it's always been a question of capacity," Stoney said. "And we've added to that capacity over the last year."
Homeless services in Richmond are coordinated regionally through the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care.
The city is creating more shelter space, not only with a new 100-bed inclement weather shelter but a new 50-bed year-round shelter for men operated by the Salvation Army.
But Stoney said even more needs to be done.
"With all the different organizations working together in a continuum, not having enough is becoming a problem," Stoney said. "Not just for us, but for other cities as well. We're thankful for our partners in Henrico who've invested here, but we're not going to be able to fix this problem without more money, more dollars, and more partnerships as well."
WATCH: Richmond Mayor Stoney on cold weather shelter shortage: 'It's always been a question of capacity'
Home Again announced last month it would be closing its emergency shelter serving men and veterans at the end of 2024.
The organization also operates a shelter for women and families.
There is a family shelter with 50 beds located at 7 North 2nd Street. It is not a walk-up shelter, but can be accessed through a Regional Coordinated Entry System through the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care.
Additional resources provided by the city include:
Homeless Connection Line: 804-972-0813 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 9 p.m. on weekends)
Housing Resource Line: 804-422-5061 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday)
EmpowerNet Hotline: 804-612-6126 (24/7)
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