In the News

Erica Holmes inducted into Virginia Housing Alliance Top 40 Network for 2018!

July 3, 2018

 

Erica Holmes, the Programs Manager at Virginia Supportive Housing was inducted into the Virginia Housing Alliance Top 40 Network at the awards ceremony in June 2018!   Over the past seven years, she has served the homeless population in various capacities, working both Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing as tools to assist her clients.  She is currently the Virginia Association of Housing Counselors (VAHC) Board President, a past Instructor with Nonprofit Learning Point, a board member for Southside Transformation Opportunities for Residents and Youth (STORY), the CACH CoC Board as the Chair of the Coordinated Entry Committee, and an independent Medicaid Provider for The Department of Medical Assistance Services for the State of Virginia.  Prior to her employment with Virginia Supportive Housing, Erica has more than 10 years in property management both in public housing and other affordable housing communities.  Ms. Holmes holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services Program Administration from Post University and a Bachelors in Business Administration from Strayer University.  When she is not providing service to homeless populations, she is caring for her three children.

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New Clay House Renovation

July 3, 2018

 

Virginia Supportive Housing has been making homelessness history for 30 years now.  Doors opened at the first VSH multi-unit property back in 1992.  That was New Clay House, situated at the corner of W Clay Street and N. Harrison Street.  Originally, there were 47 single-resident units with shared shower and kitchen facilities.  Although the model wasn’t perfect, New Clay House contributed to the incredible success rate Virginia Supportive Housing achieved; in the Richmond area, 98% of the formerly homeless individuals housed by VSH did not return to homelessness.

But experience demonstrated improvements could be made.  New Clay House was good, but it was not ideal.  Other properties in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Charlottesville showed fully-furnished individual studio apartments could solve the problem of homelessness better.  Think of it as the difference between a lonely college dorm room and a home of one’s own.

Thirty years in, and Virginia Supportive Housing now manages 16 multi-unit properties across the state, and the time has come for New Clay House to be upgraded.  Although New Clay House was how Virginia Supportive Housing first introduced the model of permanent housing with supportive services as an answer to the problem of homelessness in Virginia, the age of the property did not reflect the standard the organization had come to uphold across all other properties.  As a result, Virginia Supportive Housing has undertaken an approximately $18 million dollar project to renovate New Clay House into the new New Clay House.

Not only will the 47 pre-existing units double in size, there will be an additional 33 studio apartments for a total of 80 formerly homeless individuals off the streets.  Every apartment will have a kitchenette with full-sized appliances and also a full bathroom.  Residents will have a community room, a private courtyard, a computer room, a phone room, a fitness room, laundry facilities, and structured parking.  VSH property management and services staff can expect their own office space also, and a large donation bay is in the works as well.

Construction started in January of 2018 and is progressing rapidly.   The expected completion date is in early 2019.

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Virginia Supportive Housing 2018 Board of Directors

May 4, 2018

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) is pleased to announce its 2018 Board of Directors: Pamela Goggins – President, Sharon Nusbaum – Vice President, John Finn, Jr. – Secretary, James Banta- Immediate Past President, Nathalia D. Artus, Keith Conley, Andrew Heatwole, Anne Thomas Hines, Jack Horn, James Mellendick, Sharon Payne, and Jason Snook, PhD.

The agency, founded in 1988, turns 30 this year. VSH was the first nonprofit in Virginia to develop and provide permanent supportive housing for single adults experiencing homelessness. It has grown from one supportive housing community in Richmond to 16 owned and operated buildings and more than 600 apartment units in Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Charlottesville. VSH serves more than 1,500 people each year in Central Virginia, the South Hampton Roads region, and Charlottesville.

Be part of a team of young professionals working to end homelessness—join our Junior Board!

June 27, 2017

Would you like to share your skills, insights, and enthusiasm with other like-minded young professionals and help end homelessness in Virginia? Then consider volunteering as a member of Virginia Supportive Housing’s Junior Board of Directors. We’re currently recruiting new members to join our Junior Board and expand our impact.

Who should consider joining our Junior Board? Young professionals under 40 who are ready to help engage the community in our mission to end homelessness in Virginia.

 What does the Junior Board do? Junior Board members help end homelessness by thanking our supporters, discovering new opportunities to grow our network of support, and serving as ambassadors and advocates for VSH in the community.

Virginia Supportive Housing helps once-chronically homeless individuals reclaim their lives through permanent housing and supportive services. Junior Board members advance that mission by being aware of what we do and teaching their community how we do it. Members help us build our network of supporters through activities and events, such as an annual fundraiser that YOU can help develop.

Members are expected to attend 9 out of 12 monthly meetings annually (generally on Tuesday evenings), with volunteer and advocacy opportunities spread throughout the year.

 I’m interested. What’s next? If you’re a young professional in Central Virginia who wants to help us end homelessness in the Commonwealth, please contact Matt Morrison at [email protected]. Once we have a sufficient number of qualified, interested individuals, an informational session will follow. Matt will keep you posted well in advance of the session. YOU can help us make homelessness history!

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