The mission of BEACH is to lead and coordinate activities that most effectively address and seek to prevent and end homelessness through effective and coordinated community-wide efforts in Virginia Beach. We accomplish our mission in multiple ways, including, but not limited to the following:
- Serving as the Continuum of Care (CoC) organization for the City of Virginia Beach and fulfilling all the functions required to successfully meet and/or exceed the standards as set forth in the HEARTH Act and all other applicable requirements
- Serving as the community-wide planning organization for the consideration of and coordination of strategic and effective ways to end homelessness, beginning with implementing Virginia Beach’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness .
- Serving as the coordinating organization for all those who wish to be a part of these efforts.
- Increasing public awareness to foster a collective sense of responsibility to end homelessness in the City of Virginia Beach.
OUR PRINCIPLES
BEACH’s mission is based on a set of principles which will guide our actions as a collective body:
- We focus on those activities that we can do better together, and those critical efforts that advance our work to end homelessness and achieve the most success.
- We work to align our energy to better and best serve our goals.
- We welcome all who share our goals to join and be a part of the decision-making process.
- We think that participative decision-making is the best way to move our entire community’s effort forward. This means that we practice inclusiveness, openness, and transparency.
- We treat people with dignity and respect, regardless of their housing status.
OUR WORK
BEACH members actively collaborate through the following committees that plan and implement projects in key focus areas. Click on a heading below to learn more about each committee.
Committees
Assists with the coordination, annual preparation, and submission of the community’s Continuum of Care (CoC) application. Provides year-round monitoring of CoC, federal, and state-funded homeless service projects through Annual Performance Reports and Standards of Care reviews; develops written standards of the ranking and review process for new and renewal projects; informs project applicants of submission requirements; and ensures all projects adhere to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) policies and guidelines.
Responsible for developing and implementing a coordinated assessment process for the City of Virginia Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) region.
Coordinates the annual unduplicated count of the homeless population. The Point-in-Time Count helps determine how much funding a community will receive for homeless programs and services and provides demographic information about a city's homeless population. The committee develops the survey administered by surveyors, solicits volunteers, trains surveyors, and participates in the count.
Comprised of members of the BEACH General Membership that utilize the HMIS. The committee oversees the HMIS, including system utilization and reporting, develops standard operating procedures, and delivers reports on the status of the system to the BEACH Governing Board.
Committed to advocating and providing solution-based input for ending youth homelessness.
Lifts up issues affecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness and advocates for solutions.
Connects faith communities in Virginia Beach through the Charity Tracker database system. In coordination with the Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation's Homeless Services Division, the volunteer-staffed Faith in Action Office at the Housing Resource Center serves as a hub for this activity.
Consists of homeless service providers in and around the Virginia Beach resort area. The committee meets monthly to ensure effective outreach and service coordination to individuals and families experiencing unsheltered homelessness at the oceanfront. The group strives to increase resort-area residents’ and businesses’ awareness and knowledge of issues and solutions related to unsheltered homelessness.