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Homelessness Information & Resources
If you are homeless or in need of housing resources, please call the Housing Crisis Hotline at 757-587-4202. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Housing Crisis Hotline is the starting point for anyone who is experiencing a housing crisis throughout Greater Hampton Roads and in need of shelter, case management, and related services and/or community resources.
Not sure if you are experiencing a housing crisis? Ask yourself these two questions:
- Are you living on the street or in an emergency shelter?
- Have you experienced an eviction notice from your landlord?
If you answer "yes" to either of these questions, please call the Housing Crisis Hotline. Hotline staff will work to connect you to available services with local providers. An intake specialist will interview you to determine which referral makes the most sense, based on your situation and what's available in the community. The Hotline doesn't provide any direct financial assistance.
For further assistance, please contact the We Care Center, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 757-937-8740. The We Care Center provides showers, laundry facilities and individual service plans for individuals experiencing homelessness in Chesapeake.
Homeless Resources
Chesapeake We Care Resource Center
Where: 1468 South Military Highway, Chesapeake
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 757-937-8740
Services: Showers, laundry facilities, lunch and dinner, computer access, housing application assistance, employment search assistance, and other services.
Homeless Shelters
- Regional Housing Crisis Hotline: 757-587-4202
- HER Shelter: 757-485-3384
- Union Mission:
- Men: 757-625-5570
- Women and Children: 757-623-0642
Organizations
Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition (SVHC)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has encouraged communities to address the problems of housing and homelessness in a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic fashion.
HUD provides annual funding known as the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program. The title refers to the concept that communities must provide a "continuum" or range of coordinated services and programs to successfully break the cycle of homelessness.
To be eligible to apply for funds, communities must have a year-round, ongoing planning process which engages all individuals and organizations who assist homeless families and individuals. The Continuum of Care (COC) also contains grant applications for specific programs.
The main elements of the COC include:
- Homeless Prevention
- Outreach/Intake/Assessment
- Emergency Shelter
- Transitional Housing
- Supportive Services
- Permanent Supportive Housing
- Permanent Housing
In Chesapeake, the Continuum of Care is the responsibility of the Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition (SVHC). The SVHC is comprised of over 30 public, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations committed to serving the needs of homeless persons and is staffed by the Planning Council.
SVHC Projects:
For more information, visit the Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition on the Hampton Roads Ends Homelessness website.
National Organizations
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS.
- HUD Office of HIV/AIDS Housing provides housing assistance and related supportive services for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, principally through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program.
- HUD Veteran Resource Center provides veterans and their family members with information on HUD's community-based programs and services, with a special focus on veterans who are homeless.
- Social Security Administration is responsible among other things for providing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. These resources can help people who have disabilities meet housing and other costs.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Programs Office offers a continuum of services that include outreach to veterans living on the streets and in shelters, clinical assessment and referral to needed medical treatment for physical and psychiatric disorders, long-term sheltered transitional assistance and case management, employment assistance and linkage with available income supports, and supported permanent housing.