Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) is preparing to bring its emergency shelter experience to Charlottesville, Virginia, supporting the community as it responds to an urgent homelessness crisis.
The City of Charlottesville approached CASS for assistance as their local leaders work to establish a temporary, year-round emergency shelter and develop a long-term shelter solution. The city currently lacks the local capacity needed to operate a shelter of this size and scope.
CASS will help launch and temporarily operate a low-barrier emergency shelter while working alongside Charlottesville officials, nonprofit organizations and other community partners. Our goal is not only to meet the community’s immediate need for safe shelter, but also to help Charlottesville build the knowledge, systems and capacity necessary to operate its permanent shelter in the future.
Bringing Proven Experience to a New Community
For a little over 40 years, CASS has provided emergency shelter and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Arizona. Today, we operate three emergency shelters serving single adults, older adults and families with children.
That experience has taught us that operating a shelter requires more than opening a building. It requires thoughtful policies, trained staff, strong community relationships and services designed to help people move from homelessness toward stability.
CASS will bring this operational knowledge to Charlottesville while adapting the shelter model to the needs and resources of the local community.
A Community-Based Approach
Although CASS will provide the leadership and expertise needed to establish the temporary shelter, this effort will be rooted in Charlottesville.
Local employees will be hired to support shelter operations, administration, human resources and other essential functions. CASS will also collaborate with local service providers and community leaders to strengthen existing partnerships and create a coordinated response to homelessness.
Richard Southee, CASS Director of Compliance and Continuous Improvement and a Virginia resident, will lead the project locally. He will be supported by members of the CASS executive team, including Chief Program Officer Brittnie Stanton and CEO Nathan Smith.
“Charlottesville’s leaders recognize the urgency of this moment and are committed to developing a sustainable response,” said Nathan Smith, CEO of CASS. “We are honored to share what we have learned through decades of shelter operations while helping the community build a model that can ultimately be led and sustained by local partners.”
Strengthening—Not Slowing—Our Arizona Mission
As CASS expands its impact, our commitment to Arizona remains unchanged.
The Charlottesville project is being structured with locally hired staff and dedicated resources, allowing our Arizona teams to maintain their focus on the positive momentum underway across our Phoenix-area shelters.
This opportunity represents a new chapter for CASS and a natural extension of our mission. By sharing our expertise beyond Arizona, we can help another community respond to homelessness with urgency, compassion and a clear path toward long-term local leadership.
We look forward to working alongside the City of Charlottesville, nonprofit partners and community members to ensure that more people have access to safe shelter, supportive services and an opportunity to move forward.
