THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270423
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Churches, synagogues and groups are overwhelmed by the task of caring for Virginia Beach's homeless and they need the city's help, leaders and advocates told the City Council Tuesday.
The city should be the catalyst for a homeless shelter run by a private organization, according to a task force report accepted by the City Council Tuesday night.
The council took no action on the proposal for a permanent shelter. Instead, council members asked City Manager James K. Spore to schedule an in-depth discussion on the matter within a month.
The task force report found a pressing need for a shelter to help homeless people but did not suggest a location for the facility. Council members said they generally support the idea but have some concerns about the details, such as the shelter's location, management and cost.
Earlier this year, the city received an $800,000 federal grant to establish a homeless shelter. It is not clear how much local money would be needed to support such a facility.
``The need for a permanent site is overdue,'' said task force committee member Larry McCauley, executive director of Vets House Inc.
McCauley estimated the number of 2,000 homeless veterans in Hampton Roads at 2,000, most concentrated in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. ``They lived here. They worked here. They became homeless here, and we should help them here,'' he said.
Judy Schorr, volunteer coordinator for Samaritan House, a non-profit organization that helps the homeless and victims of abuse, said the private sector can't handle the problem alone. ``We're tired, and it's time that we do something together in order to eradicate the problem.''
No one spoke against the proposal.
KEYWORDS: HOMELESS SHELTERS by CNB