As homeless line up in Norfolk, one Scout steps up

NORFOLK

Boy Scout Preston Marquis stood at Scope on Thursday beside piles of used coats nearly as tall as him.

The 15-year-old collected 530 coats for the homeless over the past four months for his Eagle Scout project and hopes the drive becomes an annual event.

The help is needed. After two years of declining numbers, Norfolk's homeless population is growing.

The Point in Time count, a requirement to receive federal money for homeless programs, found 577 people living on the streets or in shelters in January, about a 15 percent increase over last year's count of 502.

"We know the economy is in a free-fall, and it's impacting all segments of our community, especially our low-income community," Mayor Paul Fraim said.

"I don't know if one year makes a trend," he said. "It's something I'm concerned about; I hope it's not the tip of an iceberg."

The homeless population is up in Portsmouth and the western part of the region as well. Virginia Beach counted fewer homeless this year. Chesapeake's numbers were not available.

Norfolk embarked on a plan four years ago to end homelessness in 10 years. The past two years of data indicated a 25 percent decline in homeless numbers.

Linda Jones, spokeswoman for the Union Mission, said her agency is getting more requests for food, shelter, clothing, rent and even mortgage assistance.

"We have people telling us they've never called for help before," she said. "That's what's so hard. People who have never been touched by need before are calling."

The homeless count in Portsmouth rose to 297 from 222 last year.

In Suffolk, Franklin and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties, 76 homeless individuals were counted, compared with 48 in 2008.

In Virginia Beach, the number of homeless counted dropped from 484 last year to 433.

The results are preliminary, except for Norfolk's.

Annie White-Guertin, executive director of the Portsmouth Area Resources Coalition Inc., said she didn't know whether that city's increase reflected growth in the homeless population or whether surveyors are getting better at finding homeless people.

Norfolk released its numbers during the city's seventh Project Homeless Connect on Thursday, during which 544 homeless people met with city, state and federal service providers.

The twice-annual homeless project at Scope connects single homeless men and women with varied resources, including medical and dental care, haircuts, employment interviews, housing, hot meals, food assistance, legal counseling, and help obtaining identification.

During the six previous Project Homeless Connect events, an average of 524 homeless individuals attended; a total of 181 homeless people were approved for permanent housing, and more than 2,000 volunteers participated.

On Thursday, 15-year-old Preston was not allowed to meet the recipients of his donated coats face to face because of his age.

Rules.

Preston, the son of Police Chief Bruce P. Marquis, knows about rules and did not show any disappointment.

"I just hope they make a difference," the Granby High School freshman said.

Pilot writers Jen McCaffery, Aaron Applegate and Hattie Brown Garrow contributed to this report.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com