A new presentation shows another rise in homelessness in the Roanoke area.
From summer 2021 to summer 2023, Roanoke experienced a 54% increase in homelessness. This past year saw another 12% increase, according to a new Blue Ridge Continuum of Care report.
Twice a year, a “point-in-time” survey is done of people in Roanoke who are unhoused. On Monday, the city council and members of the public will get a look at the most recent findings from a July 15, 2024, survey.
Among the findings:
- Nearly two-thirds of the unhoused in this area are residents who fell upon hard times, not drifters.
- The end of a relationship and the loss of a job are the main reasons people found themselves without a place to sleep.
- Of the 77 unsheltered individuals interviewed as part of the point-in-time survey, nearly 6 in 10 were not drug users.
At Monday’s Roanoke City Council meeting, the Blue Ridge COC will present these and other figures to the council to better illustrate what homelessness in Roanoke looks like.
On July 15, 342 people were experiencing homelessness, according to the Blue Ridge COC. It’s unclear whether all of these individuals are within city limits, but 65% of them lived in Roanoke prior to becoming homeless.
Blue Ridge COC shares that of these unsheltered people who participated in their study, about half are white men, and about 20% are Black men. Only about 22% of the 342 people were sheltered at the time of the study.
Almost half of those unsheltered people live on streets and sidewalks, and about a third are in outdoor encampments or in the woods.
The presentation makes a few requests of the council, asking that it support rezoning requests for new housing developments and advocate for state-funded voucher programs.
Homelessness levels and housing affordability in Roanoke are worsening as real estate appraisals and rents rise throughout the city. These issues were the roots of the highly contested zoning amendments that ended single-family-only zoning.
A 2021 Virginia Tech study found a lack of 4,500 housing units in the city, and over half of the city’s residents spend 30% or more of their income on rent or mortgage, putting them at higher risk of becoming homeless.
Those who are interested in learning more about what the Roanoke region’s homeless population looks like, and how their elected officials can act on this issue, can attend Monday’s city council meeting during the 2 p.m. session.
Also during the afternoon session, updates on Roanoke’s implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act will be presented.
The council will also discuss a resolution in support of kidney transplant services provided by Carilion Clinic.
The full agenda for the meeting can be found here. Folks can join the meeting in person or live through Facebook here.
[Note: Clarification has been added to two of the statistics above which applied only to the unsheltered individuals participating in the study.]