THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 26, 1995 TAG: 9509260328
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATE HUNGER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Is Virginia Beach ready for a permanent homeless shelter?
That question will be addressed at tonight's City Council meeting, when a Homeless Advisory Committee presents a proposal for the city's first permanent shelter.
The committee was created to involve the community in dealing with homelessness, said Andrew Friedman, Virginia Beach's director of housing and neighborhood development.
The group's report urges the city to use an $800,000 Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to build a shelter for about 100 single men and women.
Friedman said that an attempt to establish a shelter failed in 1989, despite City Council approval, when there was a problem with a site.
Daniel Stone, the city's director of social services, said that he is optimistic.
``My sense is that the council wants a solution to the problem,'' Stone said.
In the third annual Virginia Beach Citizens' Survey, conducted in June and July, 22 percent of those polled said the city needs more shelters for the homeless.
The report will be presented in a public hearing at 6 p.m.
Councilman Robert K. Dean said he has two concerns about the proposal: how it will be funded, and whether Virginia Beach's religious community will support it financially.
``I want to see all the churches and synagogues who basically have the philosophical commitment to the sick and homeless - I want to see their commitment to this project,'' Dean said. ``If they don't support this project, how in the world can I?''
Vice Mayor William D. Sessoms Jr. is concerned about where the shelter would be located, as well as who would run the home.
``I think the recommendations are very good and very sound,'' Sessoms said. ``I'm the first one to tell you Virginia Beach has a homeless problem. They did a good job, and I happily accept it.''
Committee member Larry McCauley, executive director of Vets House Inc., has his sights on more than merely a place for the homeless to sleep and grab a meal. McCauley advocates continued services to help end the cycle of homelessness, which has left people living in the woods or along the beach.
He said the project will succeed if it is well administered and the community accepts that homelessness affects all. McCauley said part of the problem is the unwillingness of people to have a shelter located near them, coupled with the notion that it will attract even more homeless to the city.
``They're already here,'' McCauley said. ``They're living in the bushes, trees and abandoned houses.''
KEYWORDS: HOMELESS SHELTER by CNB