The CoC Pulse

Your weekly snapshot of homelessness response, housing initiatives, and community collaboration across the VA-504 Continuum of Care.

Community Update on Encampment Response & Emergency Shelter Planning

Welcome to the second edition of The CoC Pulse, the weekly update from the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH), serving as the Continuum of Care Lead Agency for the VA-504 region.

This week, we want to provide an important clarification regarding the City's encampment response and plans for temporary emergency shelter, as well as an update on ongoing community engagement around the anticipated transition to 2000 Holiday Drive.

Community Walk at Holiday Drive

Today, BRACH participated in a community walk along Holiday Drive with representatives from PACEM, the City of Charlottesville's Department of Human Services, Police Department, Office of Economic Development, and Communications team. The purpose of the walk was to engage directly with businesses located near 2000 Holiday Drive, where the City anticipates standing up a temporary emergency shelter, and to hear concerns about the potential transition of individuals currently residing at the Free Bridge and 0 East High Street encampments.

These conversations are important. The transition to temporary shelter will affect not only individuals experiencing homelessness, but also nearby businesses, employees, customers, residents, service providers, and the broader Holiday Drive community. BRACH expects ongoing communication and coordination between the Continuum of Care, Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), and the City's departments involved in this effort. Maintaining open lines of communication will be critical to identifying concerns early, sharing accurate information, coordinating services, and working toward as smooth a transition as possible.

While many details surrounding the temporary shelter are still being finalized, the CoC will continue to participate in these conversations and provide coordination and technical expertise based on our role within the regional homelessness response system.

Point in Time Count Preliminary Results

BRACH recently completed its first-ever Summer Point in Time (PIT) Count, made possible through the City of Charlottesville’s capacity-building investment in BRACH. The count recorded 52 respondents and 10 observations. A respondent is an individual who was directly engaged by a volunteer or outreach worker and completed a PIT survey, while an observation is an individual identified as experiencing unsheltered homelessness who could be counted but was not directly interviewed or surveyed. Importantly, these numbers do not include information collected through the two-week assessment conducted by City and PACEM staff at the Free Bridge and 0 East High Street encampments, so we anticipate the final number of people identified through these combined efforts will be higher.

While there were gaps in volunteer coverage and our ability to assess every location identified through community reports, the Police Department, and Parks and Recreation, this first Summer PIT Count provides an important early indicator: more people are sleeping outside during the months when PACEM, our seasonal low-barrier shelter, is closed. This information will help the CoC better understand seasonal patterns, identify gaps in our homelessness response system, and inform future planning and resource allocation.

City of Charlottesville Update (as of 7-27-2026)

"The City continues to work alongside BRACH, service providers, healthcare partners, and community organizations as we prepare for the coordinated transition of the riverfront encampment area.

Needs assessments have been completed for 35 people staying at the riverfront encampments. This week, assessment and Point-in-Time (PIT) teams will continue following up with individuals to coordinate connections to housing, shelter, healthcare, behavioral health, and other available support services. These follow-up conversations are focused on helping people navigate available resources and developing individualized transition plans whenever possible.

The coordinated transition is planned to begin on or around September 1. After the transition, camping will no longer occur at this location, and the City will continue managing the area in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

The City continues to work toward confirming an operator for the temporary emergency shelter at 2000 Holiday Drive. At the same time, the City has already begun site readiness activities, including building inspections and other preparations, so the facility can be ready to open as quickly as possible once an operating partner is confirmed.

Throughout this process, the City has maintained a public safety presence focused on supporting outreach efforts, maintaining relationships, and helping keep everyone safe, including people staying at the encampment and community members using the Rivanna Trail and surrounding public spaces.

We appreciate the continued partnership of BRACH and the many organizations working together to address homelessness with compassion, coordination, and a shared commitment to the well-being of our entire community."

What This Means for the Community

The City is continuing to work through the logistics associated with the closure of the Free Bridge and 0 East High Street encampments and the planned transition of residents to temporary emergency shelter.

The Continuum of Care's role remains focused on coordination, system planning, data, outreach, and connection to housing and supportive services. Our shared priority is ensuring that people experiencing homelessness are treated with dignity and that the response is informed by accurate information about individual needs and available resources.

The two-week assessment process conducted July 20–31 at Free Bridge and 0 East High Street is an important part of that work. Information gathered through outreach and assessment will help the City, CoC, and service providers better understand who is currently residing at these locations and what services and housing interventions may be needed.

More Information Coming Soon

As details regarding the proposed emergency shelter operation are finalized, we will share verified information with the community. We recognize that there are many questions about what happens next, including questions about shelter operations, eligibility, transportation, services, housing pathways, and the timeline for the encampment closures. We also recognize the importance of communicating information before assumptions or rumors fill the gaps. BRACH will continue working with the City and Continuum of Care partners to share information as it becomes available and appropriate for public release. In the meantime, please mark your calendars for Friday, August 21, for BRACH's next Coffee with the Continuum. You can RSVP by clicking here.

A Note About Communication

The homelessness response system involves many organizations, levels of government, service providers, businesses, and people with lived experience. Roles and responsibilities can sometimes be difficult to understand—particularly when plans are developing quickly.

That's why The CoC Pulse will continue to distinguish between:

• What is confirmed

• What is currently underway

• What is being planned

• What remains subject to contracts or approvals

• What is still being developed

Our commitment is to provide the community with information that is accurate, timely, transparent, and grounded in the work of the Continuum of Care. We will continue to keep you informed as this process moves forward.

Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH)

Continuum of Care Lead Agency — VA-504