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“We couldn’t have had the impact we’ve had without [Silver],” she said.
In addition to providing emergency shelter and rapid rehousing services, Loisann’s Hope House staff also manages the Fredericksburg region’s homeless help line and prevention program, as well as two diversion programs, Crittenden said.
“So we are in the process of contemplating, will this [new building] house families or will we do office space?” she said. “We are leaning towards office space at this time, but no decisions have been made.”
Since March 2020, Loisann’s Hope House and the other organizations that provide homeless services in the area—the Thurman Brisben Shelter, Micah Ministries and Empowerhouse—stepped up efforts to ensure no one would be without housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crittenden said there were three points during the pandemic when there were zero unsheltered homeless people in the Fredericksburg region—which includes the city as well as Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George counties.
But she said the ability of Loisann’s Hope House to impact as many families as it does depends on support from the community.
“We receive state grants to move families into housing and keep families out of homelessness,” Crittenden said. “But we receive less money financially to keep the shelter going. That’s where we need help.”