What suggestions or comments do you have about the homeless services delivery system?

Virginia Beach is in the process of redesigning its homeless services delivery system to implement Goal 2 of the Strategic Plan to End Homelessness: Create a collaborative system of services delivery and access that connects people to services that meet their basic needs and support housing stability. There has been discussion and planning about system changes for several years, initially in response to the proposed relocation of The Lighthouse Center in 2009. Since that time, several new initiatives have resulted in additional planning, studies and recommendations:

• City Council approved design funds for the Housing Resource Center which will serve as a focus for the community’s efforts to end homelessness through coordination of intake, assessment, services and referrals.
• Enactment of the Federal HEARTH Act requires significant changes to the way localities deliver services. We must now operate as a cohesive service delivery system rather than as a collection of individually funded projects. 
• A study of the city’s housing crisis response system, completed in 2013, recommended changes to how the services system is organized and operated. 

To begin the process of re-designing our system, we would like you to review the comments, and recommendations from previous planning efforts, surveys, meetings and studies. To assist your review, a matrix has been created, listing all the comments and recommendations as well as the source of the information. If you have any further comments, recommendations, additions or questions, please provide them in the comment section below. 

Your input will be added to this matrix, which will be used to develop our new services system. The information will also be provided to the Housing Resource Center architectural consultant to guide the physical and functional design of the building.