Roanoke launches “Mayor’s Hope and Home Task Force” to tackle homelessness

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Roanoke is stepping up its fight against homelessness with a new initiative called the “Mayor’s Hope and Home Task Force”. The idea was approved Monday at the city council meeting.

“I’d like to see that as we are reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness,” Mayor Joe Cobb said, “we are placing them in homes, whether it is transitional living or long-term living.”

Homelessness in Roanoke has surged since the pandemic. The latest count shows 340 people without a place to go, with a 54% increase between 2021 and 2023 and another 12% rise in 2024.

“It was interesting. Prior to COVID, we had seen a 60% reduction in homelessness in the city and region,” Cobb said. “But, since COVID, for a number of reasons, we have seen an increase.”

Cobb says his newly-approved “Hope and Home Task Force” will study the root causes of homelessness in our community and impacts on local resources, and find out which localities they come from.

They will also be reaching out to other communities to share ideas and find successful strategies to adopt. He says it’s not replacing current efforts but adding resources and momentum.

“I think it will provide some support to agencies who are doing the day-in and day-out work, but it will broaden awareness and education in the community,” Cobb said.

The group will have 20 members including everyone from researchers to local citizens. Their work begins next month, and they have 18 months to deliver a plan, though Cobb believes that may come sooner.

“The reality is, we want to make sure whatever strategies we create, whatever action steps we create, we want to make sure they are sustainable and that they are long lasting, much like our gun violence prevention and reduction,” Cobb said.

Cobb hopes the effort brings real change to those who need it most.

“There are many days that don’t feel hopeful, most days feel like survival,” Cobb said. “What can I do to make it through the night? What can I do to make it through the day? The obstacles seem interminable. So, that sense of hope that comes from somebody who sees you as a person, who respects your dignity and worth and value and wants to help you find a place to call home.”