Homeless Resources in US w/ Central & Eastern Virginia Focus

Below is a list of resources from various locations for those who are homeless or who are facing the threat of homelessness:

How to Avoid Becoming Homeless

Non-Traditional Housing

• Homeless Shelters & Transitional Homes in SE VA

• Live Aboarding on a Boat (i.e. free sailboats anchored & where to find them)

• Living in a Van, RV, or Otherwise on Wheels

• Low or No Cost Camping

Couch Surfing While Homeless

While your first bet should be to reach out to friends and family, there are multiple couch-surfing websites where you can stay with others.

couch-surfing websites

In my experience, most hosts won't want you to be somewhere for more than a week. Some might have a max of a few nights. Some of these websites have reviews of others, which is ideal. I've actually used these before myself. Here are some of the places to go:

Couchsurfing.org (paid, but relatively low location dependent cost)

Couchers.org (free)

Be Welcome (free)

How to secure a longer stay (especially w friends/family)

If couch surfing while homeless, generally speaking, hosts will tend to be more accommodating & willing for you to stay longer if:

1. You are dedicated to having a positive impact on the home, i.e. helping with repair and cleaning needs at the home above and beyond, making the home better than how you've found it, including substantive time invested for problems with the house that were present before you ever got there, with no request for compensation for that cleaning & repair assistance.

2. You are willing to be otherwise generous with your time, expertise, and resources to help the hosts and any other occupants when you aren't working.

3. If you are jobless, you are dedicated to finding work, or do some degree of side work, like driving for Doordash or Uber. Between your time on your job search and any side jobs you do, you should be tracking your time and spending at least 40 hours per week working or seeking out work.

4. You maintain good hygiene

5. You maintain a clean environment, i.e. making your bed if applicable, folding a blanket if sleeping with one on a couch daily when not sleeping, etc.

6. You are highly respectful, ethical, & maintain integrity

Home/Room Renting

• Virginia Tenant Guide

• Programs to Reduce Rent for Tenants

• MyHousingSearch.com: Lowest Price Rental Search in 30+ States for Low Income, Section 8, Disabled, 50+, Homeless, & Veterans

• Renting When You Have Low Credit or Eviction History

• Tips on Roommates

• Renting Out Rooms

• Short-Term Rental Options

Home Purchasing

• Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program (via Section 8 Subsidies) in SE VA & US

• 10+ Types of No Down Payment Required Mortgages

• SE VA House Buyer Guide

• What do Buyers Need to Purchase a Home?

Finances

• Avoiding Payment Shock (if your monthly costs will be going up)

• Long-Term Financial Preparations for a Home Purchase & How Adam Can Help

• Budgeting

• Budgeting Meeting with Adam

• Boosting Credit

• Credit Boosting Meeting with Adam

• Free Credit Scores & Reports 

• Get a Job & Keep It

• $ Saving Tips
  

• Assistance with Utility Bills

• Tax Relief & Deferral on the Virginia Peninsula of SE VA

Free Things to Do & Other Resources

• Assistance with Utility Bills

• Tax Relief & Deferral on the Virginia Peninsula of SE VA
  

• Free Things to Do in & Around Virginia

• Low Income, Frugal, & Homeless Helpful Information Central

• Time Management (1 of the top reasons for homelessness)

• Transportation

• Medical/Dental

• Food

• Get Online

• Cruisin' To Help The Homeless in Hampton Roads (essential items to live as well as assistance with gathering resources to gain personal documents, employment, and shelter)
  

• Other Services (i.e. free phones)

(be sure to use toggle filters on top left)

Free YMCA Memberships (Including Showers)

Free YMCA membership is available at certain YMCA's including the following, if you can provide information that substantiates low income:

Fort Monroe YMCA

Greater West Point Family YMCA

Hampton Family YMCA

Luter Family YMCA

Mathews Family YMCA

Middlesex Family YMCA

Northern Neck Family YMCA

Northumberland Family YMCA

R.F. Wilkinson Family YMCA

Richmond County Family YMCA

Tom & Ann Hunnicutt Family YMCA

Victory Family YMCA

Homeless Crisis Assistance Hotlines by Region of VA:

Eastern Shore

Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission

757-787-2936

Accomack and Northampton

Greater Petersburg

St. Joseph’s Villa Flagler Housing Resource Center

804-722-1181 ext 101

Commonwealth Catholic Charities Outreach

804.467.7181

James House at 804.458.2840 if fleeing domestic violence

City of Colonial Heights,

Dinwiddie,

City of Emporia,

Greensville,

City of Hopewell,

City of Petersburg,

Prince George,

Surry,

Sussex

Hampton Roads (excluding Middle Peninsula, Surry, & Virginia Beach):

Regional Housing Crisis Hotline

757 587 4202 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

& 866 750 4331

(City of Chesapeake,

City of Franklin,

City of Hampton,

Isle of Wight,

James City County,

City of Newport News,

City of Norfolk,

City of Poquoson,

City of Portsmouth [4202 above; 757 966 2107 per HUD],

Southampton County,

City of Suffolk

City of Williamsburg

York County)

Greater Richmond

804 972 0813

Homeless Connection Line

Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat - Sun 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm

EmpowerNet 24/7 hotline at 804.612.6126 if fleeing domestic violence.

(Charles City,

Chesterfield,

Goochland,

Hanover,

Henrico,

New Kent,

Powhatan,

City of Richmond)

Additional Resources

Virginia Beach

Housing Resource Center

757 227 5932

Mon - Fri 7 AM- 5 PM?

Middle Peninsula & Northern Neck

Bay Aging (serving people of all ages): 804-758-1260

Essex,

Gloucester,

King and Queen,

King William,

Lancaster,

Mathews,

Middlesex,

Northumberland,

Richmond County,

Westmoreland,

VA Crisis Assistance Hotlines Outside SE VA

Expandable sections below cover most of SE VA. For additional locations, go to:

More of VA per DHCD

More of VA per HUD

You can select categories below on the top left; the below is best from the desktop view: