The CSB’s Housing and Homeless Services Division serves literally homeless individuals and helps them gain access to affordable housing and additional supports.

Services include:

1. Street Outreach: Staff who travel to area shelters, soup kitchens, known encampments, and other areas where homeless individuals have found temporary shelter
2. (a) Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): Four separate housing programs which provide affordable housing/housing subsidies to more than 200 individuals, and (b) Housing Stabilization: Monthly support services provided to individuals in PSH programs to ensure skill development and adjustment to housing.
3. Peer Support: Staff members with lived experience who provide recovery support
4. Employment Services:  Flexible Employment Supports Team (FEST)-the mission is to assist recipients with Behavioral Heath Disorders and CSB consumers with targeted services to overcome employment barriers.
5. Emergency Shelter Operations: As a COVID response to serve those most vulnerable, Housing and Homeless Services started a Safety Hotel program for those individuals with medical compromising conditions. In May of 2021, NCSB along with Urban Renewal Center opened "The Center."  It is a supportive tenting shelter for those individuals experiencing homeless in Norfolk.  Serves 100 people per night.

Access to Benefits:  

• SOAR-certified staff to provide access to expedited Social Security benefits applications, and
• Employment support team to help clients obtain and increase employment.

1.  STREET OUTREACH:

SAMHSA’s Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) funds services for people with serious mental illness (SMI) experiencing homelessness. Norfolk CSB currently has 2 full time case managers that conduct street outreach and navigate those persons through the housing process. They also provide short term case management services to clients during the navigation process and for 90 days once housed. In 2018, PATH served over 380 persons.

2.  PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (PSH) & HOUSING STABILIZATION:

Shelter Plus Care is a HUD funded Permanent Supportive Housing program for persons experiencing homelessness who have disabilities, including chronically homeless persons. Currently Shelter Plus Care has 58 households under lease. Consumers receive Permanent Supportive Housing rental assistance through the grant plus support services to assist consumers with remaining independent in the community. Team includes a Program Administrator, Management Analyst, and Housing Stabilization Case Manager.  

State Funded Permanent Supportive Housing Program. This program provides housing subsidies for literally homeless veterans and chronically homeless non-veterans who have a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) diagnosis. Some of these vouchers are set aside for persons exiting state operated mental health facilities. 161 vouchers are available for use. The current team includes 9 Housing Stabilization Case Managers, 2 CTI Case Managers, 1 Peer Support Specialist, 1 Behavioral Health Aide, 1 Management Analyst II, and a Program Administrator.  

Tenant Based Rental Assistance-this is a short-term rental assistance program for up to 45 single adults for up to 24 months. Housing stabilization services are also provided. The team consists of a Program Administrator and 2 Housing Stabilization Case Managers.

Guy Avenue Apartments is an apartment community in Norfolk owned by Residential Options Inc, and managed by Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. These units are set aside for Norfolk CSB clients that are exiting state facilities or homelessness. This property also includes a two-bedroom emergency transitional apartment that provides short term housing, community overnight visits, emergency housing, and skills testing/training. Housing Stabilization services are also provided.

3.  PEER SUPPORT:

Peer supports offer emotional support, share knowledge, teach skills, provide practical assistance, and connect people with resources and opportunities. Peers offer their unique lived experience with mental health and/or substance use conditions to provide support focused on advocacy, education, mentoring, and motivation.  

4.  EMPLOYMENT SERVICES:

Flexible Employment Supports Team (FEST)-the mission of FEST is to assist TANF and SNAP recipients with Behavioral Health Disorders and NCSB consumers with targeted services to overcome barriers to employment. FEST staff offer free CareerScope assessments, resume building assistance, mock interviews, skills training, peer groups, advocacy with employers, transportation assistance, and direct support through the employment process.

5.  EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS:

The CSB operates a 100-bed emergency shelter for single adults experiencing homelessness in Norfolk. In addition to providing year-round shelter beds, The Center provides day services to homeless individuals which include a midday meal, access to outreach and case management staff, assistance with navigating the housing process and linkage to benefits including SNAP (food stamps), health insurance, and more. 

The Center also serves as the City’s overnight shelter response during severely cold weather (as declared by the Emergency Operations Center) with up to 50 additional overflow spots.  If you would like to volunteer at The Center, or provide food/donations, please send an email of interest to:  volunteer@theurcnorfolk.com.   

Contact Us

Housing & Homeless Services

7447 Central Business Park Dr
Norfolk, VA 23513
757-756-5600