HMIS data: 147 people counted as literally homeless in Winchester; chronic homelessness and high emergency use highlighted

Caitlin Keepall, HMIS administrator for the Western Virginia Continuum of Care, briefed the committee on homelessness counts and drivers in Winchester and the surrounding region. "Over our whole geographic region, it's 422 people that we counted as experiencing literal homelessness," Keepall said, and added that "of those, it was a 147 or about 35% are in Winchester specifically." She explained that the PIT count measures people who are literally homeless (unsheltered, in shelters, or in agency-paid hotel stays) and that broader HMIS records show additional people doubled up and at risk.

Keepall noted that chronic homelessness is a significant portion of Winchester's unsheltered population—"36 percent are chronic"—and described elevated service use: 86% of chronically homeless individuals visit an emergency department at least once, and roughly 10% visit 12 or more times in a year. She emphasized that the leading causes reported by people themselves are income loss and housing affordability and cautioned that housing alone is not a complete solution without accompanying supports such as case management, substance-use services, health care, and job training.