Advocates say some families, children are unable to access Richmond's new homeless shelter

RICHMOND, Va. -- Some advocates for the homeless community have raised concerns about one of Richmond's newly opened shelters, claiming families and children were not being granted access to it.

"I can tell you I am absolutely disappointed and outraged at the same time," said Tracey Hardney-Scott, Housing Chair of the Richmond NAACP. "We are getting a whole bunch of calls just asking, 'Where do we go?' We don't have anywhere to tell them to go."

On December 1, the city opened two new shelters: one at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue and another at 7 N. Second Street. The two shelters serve different populations and are also accessed differently.

Here's what you should know about both.

1900 Chamberlayne Avenue:

• Is operated by the Salvation Army
• Is currently operating as an inclement weather shelter
• Opens daily from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• Serves single adults
• Does not accept children
• Can be accessed on a walk-up and first-come-first-served basis
• Has 150 beds

7 N. Second Street

• Is operated by Home Again
• Operates as a family shelter
• Serves mothers and children
• Has 50 beds
• Cannot be accessed on a walk-up basis
• Must be accessed through coordinated entry

The Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC), which is Central Virginia's regional network of homeless assistance, handles and oversees the coordinated entry process. Using this process, families and children who contact the GRCoC's entry point should be prioritized for shelter.

Currently, the system's main entry point is the Homeless Connection Line, a phone number that homeless individuals are encouraged to call when they reach an emergency situation. The hotline is generally how most homeless individuals gain access to the region's other year-round homeless resources.

However, Hardney-Scott said last year, people could access the city's inclement weather shelter specifically for families on a walk-up basis and get immediate help. This season, she claimed some families have been unable to reach a person using the Homeless Connection Line and faced delays getting a callback.

“Imagine being homeless and you don't know where to go, and now you're listening to a recording that keeps cutting you off or you're waiting for somebody to call you back. What happens if you don't have a place to charge your phone and you miss that phone call? Now you got to start from ground zero all over again instead of being able to walk up," Hardney-Scott said.

But Kelly King-Horne, executive director of Homeward which helps manage the crisis line, said all calls involving families are returned within 24 hours.

She said the city's new family shelter is just one of several that already exist in the regional continuum of care. She added that the system is actively serving 24 families across multiple shelters and an additional 106 households through targeted housing programs.

"GRCoC agencies are consistently and continuously serving families with children, and the system has the capacity to continue doing so. It’s important to note, though, that there a great many families with children in our region facing housing instability," King Horne said. "These are tragic situations, but our homeless services system cannot solve housing instability and poverty in our region. Our resources are limited, and we work tirelessly to serve as many people as possible who are experiencing homelessness."

Still, Hardney-Scott said she believes a physical point of entry into the system of assistance is necessary.

"The system is broken," Hardney-Scott said. "And until we start engaging in truthful and transparent conversations and not taking it personal, we're going to repeat this again."

Richmond City Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch has previously said she hopes that a housing resource center being established at the 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue shelter will serve as a physical point of entry into the GRCoC.

However, King Horne previously said GRCoC stakeholders were still discussing the system's entry points and had not decided on that.

CBS 6 is still awaiting a response from the City of Richmond regarding concerns about the family shelter. Hardney-Scott said she and other advocates were virtually meeting with city officials Thursday evening.

The Homeless Connection Line can be reached at 804-972-0813.

Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.