A Commitment to Care: Warmth, Safety and Critical Support for Residents Without Shelter

Learn about the community partnerships and programs that serve individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

When temperatures drop, the basic need for shelter becomes even more important. Since the early 1980s, City, faith and nonprofit organizations have collaborated to provide overnight shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness during the winter.

The collective effort to help the most vulnerable individuals has expanded and transformed into the systematic and coordinated homeless service system we now have in Virginia Beach. Learn ways our community connects unsheltered individuals — those living on the street or in encampments — to much needed services and shelter, during the coldest months and throughout the year.

Winter Shelter

In fiscal year 2025, approximately 376 individuals accessed year-round shelter at the Housing Resource Center (HRC) and throughout the city at various programs operated by nonprofit partners.

From November to March, the Virginia Beach Winter Shelter program provides seasonal overnight shelter beds through a partnership between the City, nonprofit PiN Ministry and faith organizations.

Winter Shelter serves single adults (ages 18 and older) who are experiencing homelessness in Virginia Beach. Faith organizations rotate weekly as the host site, offering participants with a warm place to sleep, meals and resources.

Housing & Neighborhood Preservation (HNP) uses federal funds it receives to support the Winter Shelter and contracts with PiN Ministry, which operates the program and provides participants with transportation to and from the shelter sites.

Individuals must check in each day that overnight shelter is needed. Due to limited resources, placement in Winter Shelter is prioritized for the most vulnerable individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness (seniors and those with health-related or other disabling conditions).

For more information about the Winter Shelter program, contact PiN Ministry at 757-962-3567, or visit VirginiaBeach.gov/WinterShelter.

Families with children in need of overnight shelter during the winter should visit the Housing Resource Center Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon for triage and assessment, or call the Regional Housing Crisis Hotline, 757-227-5932, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Homeless Support Services

HNP’s Homeless Services division operates the Transitions Day Services program at the HRC, where unsheltered individuals can access showers, laundry, mail and breakfast or lunch throughout the year. Staff also supports participants with creating a plan toward stable housing, and connects them to other resources, such as primary health care and Human Services on site and within the community service system.

Many other partners provide similar resources for unsheltered individuals, particularly those who are near the Oceanfront. These include day services, clothing and dinner from PiN Ministry; the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center’s community dinners; and hygiene items, bike repairs and identification assistance provided by Potter’s House.

The Get Help Pocket Pal provides a list and schedule of other key services near the HRC and at the Oceanfront for individuals experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis.

Meeting Individuals Where They Are

The City’s Homeless Outreach team provides “boots-on-the-ground” services by meeting unsheltered individuals where they are to offer connections to shelter, housing and resources. The team finds and engages individuals living on the street or in encampments and evaluates their needs directly from the field.

A key part of their role is building trusting relationships with the unsheltered population, which means they are not an enforcement authority. This is especially important because the unsheltered population may already be reluctant to engage or connect with the service system. For individuals who are open to assistance, Homeless Outreach provides case management and helps them navigate the process of accessing services within the community.

The City recently enhanced outreach to the unsheltered population through a multi-disciplinary approach that now combines Homeless Services, Human Services’ mental health and peer recovery street outreach workers and health care professionals from Old Dominion University Community Care clinic.

Our Impact in 2025

980 unsheltered individuals participated in Transitions Day Services
11,596 meals served to Transitions Day Services participants
313 single adults were provided shelter at the HRC
51 families served in HRC's family shelter and non-congregate shelter
1,773 Homeless Outreach engagements with unsheltered individuals and 332 clients served

Accessing the Homeless Service System

Families and individuals experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis can connect with the service system by:

Visiting the Housing Resource Center, 104 N. Witchduck Road, during walk-in hours for triage and assessment, 8 a.m. to noon, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Calling the Regional Housing Crisis Hotline, 757-227-5932, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To find organizations that provide support services, including a list of faith-based food pantries, clothing and financial resources; health services; basic assistance and more visit BEACHCommunityPartnership.org/Get-Help .