The City of Richmond, in partnership with The Salvation Army, announces the activation of the Salvation Army Inclement Weather Shelter (IWS), located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue. The IWS will function as an overnight shelter beginning Thursday, Nov 6 to help residents stay safe and warm during periods of extremely cold temperatures.

This activation falls outside of the regular cold weather shelter season (November 15 – April 15) and is being implemented in response to forecasted low overnight temperatures this weekend and upcoming week. The Inclement Weather Shelter will open for the winter season on Saturday, November 15 at 5 p.m.

The shelter will operate:

• Thursday, Nov. 6 – Friday, Nov. 7: 5 p.m. – 8 a.m.
• Monday, Nov. 10 – Tuesday, Nov. 11: 5 p.m. – 11 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 11 –Wednesday, Nov. 12: 5 p.m. – 8 a.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 13 – Friday, Nov. 14: 5 p.m. – 8 a.m.

Guests are encouraged to arrive by 10 p.m. to ensure check-in and placement before lights out.

“The City of Richmond remains committed to ensuring that every resident has a safe place to go when temperatures drop to dangerous levels,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “We are grateful for our continued partnership with The Salvation Army and the many community organizations working together to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.”

The shelter is accessible by GRTC Route 1 with nearby stops along Chamberlayne Parkway. Riders can use the GRTC Transit On The Go app or visit ridegrtc.com to plan their trip.

For more information about the City’s cold weather response and available resources, residents can visit Inclement Weather | Richmond.

Richmond, VA - The City of Richmond Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is pleased to announce two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for affordable housing developments at city-owned surplus property sites in the City's 6th and 7th districts. The two sites-one at 212 N. 18th St. and the other at 911 & 913 Hull St. - are each ideally situated in the historic neighborhoods of Shockoe Bottom and Manchester, respectively, and present a unique opportunity to add quality affordable housing through the creative and intentional use of surplus properties.

On Wednesday, City leaders gathered with community members, nonprofit and for-profit developers, and others at the 212 N. 18th St. location (a City-owned parking lot) to celebrate the announcement and to discuss the RFP process and site details. "Take a good look at this asphalt," said Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille. "Because tomorrow, this will be a place that Richmonders can call home."

"We endeavor to be a City that creates opportunities, fosters community, and provides every Richmonder the opportunity to have a safe, quality, affordable roof over their heads" said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. "We are fortunate, in my view, to be able to seize a moment where everyone is aligned on this goal; a goal outlined in the Mayoral Action Plan and one which I am laser focused on seeing through. I am excited to see the results of this first step on the path of delivery."

Proposals are due to HCD staff by February 24, 2026 at 3:00pm. Applications will be scored by an evaluation committee which will consider applications based on factors including conceptual design, project financing, community benefit, and demonstrated experience, among others.

Additional site information as well as RFP guidelines and evaluation details can be found in the attached or online via the following: 

• 212 N. 18th St. (click for more)
• 911 and 913 Hull St. (click for more)

"We are grateful to have so many talented for-profit and nonprofit developers in this town," said Director of Housing and Community Development Merrick Malone. "I look forward to seeing what they bring to the table in transforming these spaces into the quality, affordable, mixed-use development that we need."

Richmond, VA - At its November 3 meeting, the City of Richmond's Planning Commission advanced two key components of The Shockoe Project, approving the conceptual plans for a memorial to the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground and the final design for Reconciliation Plaza improvements.

Earlier this month, the Urban Design Committee (UDC) reviewed both projects and recommended approval to the Planning Commission. Together, these milestones represent continued progress toward realizing the City's vision for a unified Shockoe campus that honors the truth of Richmond's history and creates space for reflection, learning, and healing.

"With each step, we move closer to creating spaces that acknowledge the full truth of Richmond's history and invite meaningful reflection," said Leo Mantey, City of Richmond General Manager, The Shockoe Project. "These actions mark an important milestone in that journey."

The memorial will honor Richmond's first municipal burying ground for free and enslaved people of color (Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground). Active from the late 1700s to the early 1800s, it is the final resting place of an unknown number of Richmonders. The memorial design, now conceptually approved, will return for final review in 2026.

The Reconciliation Plaza improvements (also part of The Shockoe Project) underscore the City's ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing historic sites that tell our collective story. The plaza is home to one of three identical Reconciliation Statues, symbolizing a shared global commitment to honesty and forgiveness. The other statues are located in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and Cotonou, Republic of Benin, two cities that - like Richmond - played central roles in the transatlantic slave trade.

Together, these projects further The Shockoe Project's mission to link Richmond's historic sites, tell the story of the domestic slave trade, and preserve these places of memory as spaces for truth and reflection.

About The Shockoe Project

The Shockoe Project is a City of Richmond initiative. Its epicenter is in the Shockoe Valley, where hundreds of thousands of human beings were bought and sold. The project includes established projects and proposed projects including: the Richmond Slave Trail, the Reconciliation Statue, Shockoe Institute (under construction), National Slavery Museum, Lumpkin's Slave Jail Pavilion, a memorial honoring the hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans traded here, a memorial honoring the African Burial Ground, Winfree Cottage relocation and renovation and the memorialization of the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground.

The City of Richmond will close in observance of Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11. All city offices, including City Hall, will be closed. We will return to our regular business hours on Wednesday, November 12.

Note: Richmond Public Schools are NOT closed for Veterans Day. Stay informed about RPS closures on the School Year Calendar.

• There will be no trash collection or bulk and brush collection on Tuesday, November 11. All collections will be delayed by one day. Collections scheduled for pick-up on Tuesday will be picked up on Wednesday and so on through Friday, November 14.
• The East Richmond Road Convenience Center (ERRCC) Landfill, located at 3800 East Richmond Road, will be closed on Tuesday, November 11. ERRCC will reopen on Wednesday, November 12.
• Recycling services will operate as normal on Tuesday, November 11.
• All Richmond Public Libraries are closed on Tuesday, November 11 and will reopen on Wednesday, November 12.
• RVA311 will be closed on Tuesday, November 11. The public will have 24/7 access to self-service via RVA311.com and the mobile app.
• All Parks and Rec offices and community centers are closed Tuesday, November 11.
• The Department of Public Utilities Call Center is closed Tuesday, November 11. For utility emergencies, customers should call 804-646-4646 and press Option 1. For gas leaks, leave the area and call 911.
• Richmond Animal Care and Control is closed on Tuesday, November 11. RACC will reopen with regular walk-in hours on Wednesday, November 12.

DPU is proactively correcting bills and reducing the average bill of impacted customers by nearly 15% 

Richmond, VA — On October 17, the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) identified an equipment failure that resulted in the corruption of utility meter reading data for less than 5,000 customers on Richmond’s Southside. DPU took swift action and immediately delayed billing to those impacted customers to prevent incorrect bills. After an extensive review of the data over the last two weeks, a single, correct bill will be issued to impacted customers reflecting both the previous and current billing period.

To help offset the inconvenience of this disruption to the billing cycle, the combined bill will only include base fees for one month — a reduction of about $40 – $50, or nearly15% for the average customer.

“Our goal is to deliver best in class service to our customers. That starts with consistent and reliable billing, but that doesn’t mean issues won’t arise. Service rises to elite status, when we proactively correct issues and our customers can have confidence that we will do what it takes to get it right,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “This small adjustment is the first step in building that transparency and trust with our customers.”

What impacted customers need to know

• This month’s bills will reflect usage fees for both the previous and current billing cycle.
• This month‘s bill will reflect base fees for just one billing cycle — a reduction of about $40 for water and wastewater customers and about $50 for water, wastewater, and gas customers, or about 15% for the average customer.
• No late fees will be charged.

DPU is also enhancing its meter reading technology for the vehicles that collect utility meter data to improve reliability. That new equipment has been purchased and will be tested and installed over the next several weeks citywide. DPU is committed to serving our customers and ensuring billing accuracy, I am very appreciative to the staff that have worked tirelessly to resolved this as quickly as possible. DPU continues to enhance our billing and utility infrastructure citywide, all of our customers will continue to benefit from better, more efficient technology,” said DPU Director Scott Morris. 

For questions, customers may contact the DPU Customer Care Center at 804-646-4646 or [email protected].