PORTSMOUTH, Va. — For people experiencing homelessness in Portsmouth, a long-awaited resource is finally taking shape.
City leaders and advocates have begun work on a new housing resource center designed to bring critical services under one roof, offering hope to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
“It’s pretty exciting to have it right here,” said Ebony Boone, a Portsmouth resident who recently experienced homelessness. “It’s accessible… we have a lot of people in this city who need the opportunity.”
The project, still in its early stages, is the result of nearly eight years of advocacy led in part by Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, a nonprofit that has served people in crisis since 1990.
Executive Director Darlene Sparks Washington said the organization has evolved from a seasonal shelter into a year-round operation providing both night shelter and daytime services.
“We are now an agency that provides year-round night shelter… and we operate a day center,” Washington said.
Boone said she turned to the organization earlier this year after falling on hard times and being unable to continue paying for a motel stay.
“I Googled homeless shelters in Portsmouth, and I came across this one,” she said.
Since then, Boone said she has found more than just a place to stay.
“A sense of peace, a mindset to transition, setting goals,” she said. “And really just breaking the stigma of what homelessness is.”
The new housing resource center aims to build on that support by offering a wide range of services in one centralized location. Plans include shelter for single adults, a learning center focused on job readiness and education, a commercial kitchen, medical services, and access to showers and laundry facilities.
PVH also shares building spaces with Oasis Ministry. However, Oasis is not a homeless shelter. Oasis provides daily meals in their Community Kitchen, a Client Choice Food Pantry, and supportive resources, but they are not equipped to offer shelter.
Washington said the goal is to remove barriers that often prevent people from finding stable housing.
“We’ve tried to address wraparound services, so individuals can come and get the support and services that they need,” she said.
Currently, the organization can serve about 25 people at a time, a number Washington acknowledged is small compared to the need, but still significant.
“That’s 25 individuals who are not on the street,” she said.
The push for a permanent, centralized facility intensified over the years as advocates saw gaps in seasonal shelter programs, especially when colder months ended, and people were forced back outside.
“We had to have a better solution,” Washington said.
Community support ultimately helped bring the project to life, including backing from city leadership, faith groups, and civic organizations.
“It wasn’t just us,” Washington said. “There were other people saying, yes, this is a good idea.”
For Boone, the visibility of the new center could make a critical difference for others still searching for help.
“Some people are afraid, and they just need to be able to see a building right here,” she said. “It makes them want to stop and ask, 'Is there something in there for me?”
Construction on the housing resource center is expected to take between 18 months and 2 years. In the meantime, local organizations continue to provide services for those in need, offering a lifeline as the city works toward a more permanent solution.
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, click here.
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