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Introduction
The intended project aims to provide hotel shelter to homeless persons and immigrants living in Richmond. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in homeless people and the shutting down hotels and various tourist attraction sites. Closure of hotels saw them incurring losses, thus a need to identify alternative ways for them to use their rooms for profitable projects. One of the ways in which the hotels became useful during the period is offering shelter to homeless persons and immigrants (Grabar, 2021). Hotels are willing to engage in such projects since they do not have much revenue coming in. Allowing homeless people to stay in hotels enables them to enjoy a life away from crowded shelters and a lack of privacy (Dougherty, 2021). Massachusetts established a similar project during the pandemic to host the homeless in hotels or motels. However, the project was designed to house homeless persons who had contracted COVID-19 and therefore had to isolate themselves.
Establishing the hotel shelter project for homeless people and immigrants in Richmond will significantly reduce the rate of homelessness in the region. According to a study carried out by officials in the state, 46% of individuals hosted in hotel shelters left while entering a permanent residence (Jolicoeur, 2022). This indicates that the intended project will be useful in minimizing the rate of homelessness in Richmond. Hotel-based shelters are established to offer conditions that enable people to get into permanent housing. Such shelters can also provide access to support professionals such as recovery coaches and mental health providers who provide an opportunity for positive change. Hotel shelters offer an opportunity for individuals with physical disabilities and severe health conditions to live in a non-congregate environment. This indicates that the proposed project is an opportunity for progress in the Richmond community.
Hotel-based shelters need to support individuals with mental health and drug abuse problems to become effective. Providing shelter to individuals with mental health and drug abuse challenges with offering necessary support might negatively affect other individuals housed within the project. Hotel-based shelters also become effective by providing meals to individuals housed in different rooms, even though it might be a significant challenge (Iovan & Cooney, n.d). There is also a need to ensure that such shelters are adequately staffed to enhance the flow of services and activities.
The rate of homelessness in Richmond also indicates a significant need to establish the proposed project. There were about 739 homeless people in Richmond in January 2022, with a significant number coming from families with children below 18 years (Schiffres, 2022). The region’s homelessness rate increased significantly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The region lacks affordable housing; therefore, people could not afford to pay for accommodation due to the financial crisis experienced during the pandemic. Richmond also has a high number of immigrants, which might increase the number of homeless people in the region. Implementing the desired project in Richmond will help provide decent shelter and other services for homeless persons in the region.
Background
The proposed project involves converting a hotel located in Richmond for it to house homeless persons and immigrants living in the region. The project seeks to reduce the regional homelessness rate, especially after the pandemic period. The period of stay in the hotel rooms should be minimal for people to transition into permanent housing. The project aims to provide modern model shelters and services with a focus on helping homeless people acquire stable and affordable housing as quickly as possible.
One of the competitions likely to be faced by the proposed project is emergency shelters designed to help the homeless. Emergency shelters are developed to enhance access to individuals facing a housing crisis (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2019). They provide an immediate place to stay while also laying out strategies to reconnect people to permanent housing. Emergency shelters mainly serve the vulnerable population who face significant barriers in housing. Another competition likely to be faced by the proposed project is transitional housing which acts as a temporary form of accommodation while helping people to access permanent housing (Burch, 2022). Transitional housing allows more privacy and is more service-intensive when compared to emergency shelters.
Richmond is made up of people from all over the world; hence the immigrant numbers are people from different countries of origin. Chinese carry the largest percentage having 59% of a recent immigrant’s study in 2016 (Northam, 2019). Just like any other community in the world, Richmond has married, single, separated, divorced, and widowed groups of people. The most common food in the Richmond area comes from various regional farms. People residing in the region have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, cattle, and livestock meats (Discover Richmond Tours, 2021). This indicates that homeless persons can easily access fresh food products for daily consumption. Richmond area has a variety of music that people in the region listen to according to their interests. Richmond people have the option to listen to country music, gospel, hip-hop, jazz, and rock and roll (Virginia, 2019). Music concerts are performed in different venues, varying from concert halls to small settings.
Many homeless people in Richmond face a difficult time during winter, with temperatures falling below 40 degrees. Homeless people who sleep outside face the risk of dehydration, cold, hypothermia, and frostbite. Communities and families assist those who are lucky enough to enable them to survive the cold. Apart from shelter, these homeless people need proper affordable housing and community support. Homeless service providers in Richmond turned hotels into shelters.
A precedent to the proposed project is the shelter home for the homeless developed by Javier Larraz. The project was established in 2010 and lies on an area of 995 meters squared. They are a golden opportunity for improving the quality of life of socially excluded homeless people whose needs reach beyond the simple fact of just finding somewhere to lay their heads. There is a proposed constructed shelter that can assume with personality the intensity of use to which it will be subjected. It is, at the same time, flexible in its function, where the interior configuration facilitates the co-existence among the different groups of people using the constructed shelters. However, these shelter programs have limited spaces in the bedrooms, leisure rooms, workshops, and dining rooms. Despite having a tight budget, the architects delivered a complex of noticeable architectural quality.
Another precedent is the shelter for the homeless developed by RKW Architektur + in 2018, lying on an area of 4210 meters squared. The project was established as a homeless shelter for 119 people, two social workers, and two housing administrators. Architects working on the project managed to deliver it even though they were working on a tight budget. Holland Harvey Architects is a shelter storm found in Islington, north London, that provides 42 beds for the homeless. They also offer some freshly cooked meals and rehabilitative aid to the homeless. It was a disused supermarket that was made into a shelter for the homeless.
Conclusion
The investor must purchase various resources to ensure the hotel is ready to house homeless persons and immigrants. The hotel desired for the project is located in the center of Richmond near Minoru Park and might lack some of the things that might be required for the project’s success. One thing the client must consider purchasing for the project is computers to be used in the reception area. The computers are necessary to conduct various activities such as recording individuals to be helped and bills preparation. Chairs might be necessary for the reception area to allow visitors to sit down while waiting for their chance to be served. Computers are also needed for the hotel office to facilitate data storage and other activities. The customer might also be required to purchase other office equipment to ensure that the area is visitor-friendly. The lounge area will also need lounge chairs, which will allow people to sit while waiting or during their leisure time. It might also be necessary to have a television in the lounge area for people to pass the time while watching. An ADA grab-bar is required in the public washrooms to facilitate doors opening.
The breakfast room and kitchen will require the installation of built-in cabinets to facilitate the storage of things. The client can consider investing finances in the employment of kitchen staff to handle meal preparation and other activities. The client might have to purchase utensils and other kitchen equipment if meals are prepared and served within the hotel. Built-in cabinets are also required for the staff room and the library. The desired hotel also has a gym that will require equipment for residents to engage in different exercise activities. Gym equipment might end up being the most expensive among the requirements needed to ensure that the desired project is running. The client might have to hire a gym instructor after the project starts running to control activities within the gym. The laundry room needs the client to invest in a washer and dryer to allow individuals housed within the hotel to clean their clothes easily.
It is also necessary for the client to consider installing console tables in the elevator. Console tables can be used to put decorative items on them to make the elevator look more appealing. There is a need to invest in a projector and a screen in the TV room, enabling residents to follow various proceedings on the television. It might also be necessary to invest in chairs in the TV room to allow residents to watch television while sitting. Bedrooms in the hotel require the installation of a built-in cabinet, which will provide space for the storage of things. The client might also be required to invest in beds and bedding to be used by people who will be housed in the desired project. The client might be needed to purchase other things after the project starts running based on necessary improvements and customer requirements. Investing in the different requirements will help ensure the hotel is ready to house homeless people and immigrants.
References
Burch, B. (2021). What is transitional housing? 8 things you need to know. Low Income Relief. Web.
Discover Richmond Tours. (2021). 6 reasons Richmond, VA is the perfect food city.Discover Richmond Tours. Web.
Dougherty, C. (2021). One way to get people off the streets: Buy hotels. The New York Times. Web.
Grabar, H. (2021). How to convert hotels into housing for the homeless. Slate Magazine. Web.
Iovan, S., & Cooney, P. (n.d.). Operationalizing temporary shelter settings for homeless populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHRT. Web.
Jolicoeur, L. (2022). Hotel-based homeless shelters changed lives during pandemic. Some want them to be a model moving forward. WBUR News. Wev.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2019). Emergency shelters are serving an increasingly vulnerable population. National Alliance to End Homelessness. Web.
Northam, J. (2019). Vancouver has been transformed by Chinese immigrants. NPR.org. Web.
Schiffres, M. (2022). Resources for Richmond families who need housing can’t keep up with pandemic hike in homelessness, rising housing costs. VPM.org. Web.
Virginia. (2019). Virginia music – Virginia is for lovers. Virginia.org. Web.
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