There are 31 people experiencing homelessness in the Rockbridge area. A summer 2026 count conducted July 15 revealed that 13 people were living in unsheltered conditions and 18, including five children, were staying in sheltered settings.
The point-in-time count of homelessness in Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington was conducted by the new Rockbridge Homeless Connection in conjunction with the Valley Homeless Connection Local Planning Group.
Of the 13 unsheltered people identified, four met the definition of chronically homeless and five reported receiving Social Security disability benefits. Adults ranged in age from 35 to over 65 and were found in a variety of locations.
“These numbers give us an important starting point,” said Lindsey Perez, RHC chair and executive director of the Rockbridge Area Relief Association. “We know that no singlenight count can capture everyone experiencing homelessness in a rural area, and there are people experiencing homelessness in Rockbridge who we did not find. But physically going out into the community, talking with people, and learning where
, page 2 and how they are experiencing homelessness gives us information we simply could not get from service-provider data alone.”
A point-in-time count provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night. While PIT counts are conducted nationwide each January, VHC conducted an additional count this summer after winter weather made it difficult to complete one earlier this year.
Locally, longtime VHC members, including Project Horizon and RARA representatives, have participated in previous counts by surveying people using their services. This year marked the first time organizations in the Rockbridge area conducted a physical count at locations in the community where people experiencing unsheltered homelessness may be found.
RHC is a coalition of local organizations and community partners working to address homelessness in Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista. Launched earlier this year, RHC brings together service providers, churches, law enforcement, local government and other stakeholders to better understand the scope of homelessness, improve coordination of services, strengthen connections to housing resources and develop community-based solutions.
Accurately measuring homelessness in a rural community such as Rockbridge presents unique challenges, explained Perez. People may be dispersed across a large geographic area, staying in vehicles, campsites, abandoned buildings, motels, or other locations that are difficult to identify. Others may be temporarily staying with friends or family and may not be captured. Unlike larger communities with centralized shelters or concentrated areas of homelessness, there is no single place in the Rockbridge area where people experiencing homelessness can be located. As a result, the number identified through a one-night count should be considered a minimum, rather than a complete measure of homelessness in the community.
“Conducting this first physical count is about more than a number,” said Perez. “It is about making sure people who are experiencing homelessness are seen and understood, and using what we learn to build a stronger local response.”
RHC views its first physical PIT count as an important step toward building a more complete understanding of homelessness in the Rockbridge area. The information collected will help the coalition identify gaps in services, improve outreach and coordination, and inform future efforts to connect people with housing and other resources.
Perez said RHC is grateful to the volunteers and service providers who participated in the July 15 count and helped make the first physical count in the Rockbridge area possible.
RHC is a collaborative effort of local organizations and community partners working to better understand and address homelessness in Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista. RHC works as part of the Valley Homeless Connection to improve coordination among service providers, connect people experiencing homelessness with resources and housing, and develop long-term solutions.
For more information, contact Perez at director@raralex. org.
