Petersburg to host second housing summit to discuss potential solutions
PETERSBURG— The city will be gathering community members and leaders together tomorrow afternoon for part two of its Housing Summit to discuss gaps in services as well as possible short and long term solutions for homelessness.
Part one discussed the coalition of organizations working to address homelessness and resources available through the Crater Area Coalition on Homelessness (CACH), and introduced the key players involved.
More: Petersburg hosts first-ever housing summit
In part two, attendees will learn about evictions in the Crater area and a program that offers some financial assistance to renters (Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot). Participants will also learn about the different scenarios that lead to homelessness, discuss a plan to address gaps in services, and create a timeline to stay focused on developing solutions.
The Humanities Bill, Councilwoman Treska Smith's plan to address homelessness and evictions, will be discussed further in the meeting, as well as the possibility of using some buildings that were part of the Southside Virginia Training Center as emergency housing.
Professionals working in homeless services, planning, and affordable housing are encouraged to attend in person. Community members, non-profits, and faith-based leaders are also encouraged to take part in this event. Questions and comments can be directed to Genevieve Lohr at glohr@petersburg-va.org or (804) 203-4419.
The event will take place tomorrow, Aug. 10 from 2 to 5 pm at the Library. It will also be streamed on the city website, which you can view here.
Joyce Chu, an award-winning investigative journalist, is the Social Justice Watchdog Reporter for The Progress Index. Contact her with comments, concerns, or story-tips at Jchu1@gannett.com or on Twitter @joyce_speaks.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg to host a second housing summit focused on solutions
