"It's great having your own home. It's total freedom."
Due to his paranoia, Jeff was homeless for 4 years. He would stay in a shelter or find a secluded spot to sleep, preferably a car. During the day Jeff would look for odd jobs to earn some extra cash. After participating in the A Place To Start (APTS), Jeff is now housed permanently in his own apartment.

PROGRAMS

Financial Foundations Housing Access Support Services

A distressed woman looking for assistance DOWNLOADS
Eligibility Criteria
Application of Interest
Instructions

A Place To Start

A small percentage of our homeless population use and reuse expensive community services (hospitals, jails, homeless services) and yet remain inappropriately served. These individuals are chronically homeless. Chronically homeless individuals are regularly or repeatedly homeless and have a disabling condition. In the Greater Richmond area, insufficient services are available for individuals who are chronically homeless with a serious mental illness.

A Place to Start (APTS) is a regional program that serves individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and serious mental illness. APTS immediately houses these individuals. Housing provides the initial stability that then allows the individuals to meaningfully engage in services.

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) provides the housing services for this program and employs the Intensive Community Treatment (ICT) team that is comprised of an administrative assistant, a licensed clinician(s), case manager(s), a nurse, a peer counselor and a part-time psychiatrist.

APTS is based on the Pathways to Housing Program in New York City. This "Housing First" model wraps intensive mental health services around those who have an extensive history of homelessness. Click here to watch an episode of the PBS show (NOW) featuring the Pathways to Housing program. Click here to learn more about the Pathways to Housing program or here to learn more about Housing First.

Service providers: please call the APTS program supervisor at 804.525.1943, prior to submitting an application of interest.