RISC Update October 2026
What is RISC currently working on?
MENTAL HEALTH
In Fall 2025, hundreds of RISC members shared stories of difficulty accessing mental health care, leading more than 500 members at our October Community Problems Assembly to vote to take action. Research showed that access to care for children in Chesterfield was particularly challenging: one in four children experiences a mental, emotional, or behavioral health issue, while nationally families make an average of 60 calls to secure an appointment.
Further research led us to identify mental health navigation tools as the solution. In communities where one such tool has been implemented, families secure appointments in an average of 11 days. At our Action Assembly, Chesterfield Supervisor Jessica Schneider committed to championing implementation of such a tool.
We are meeting with Board Chair Mark Miller on October 29, 2026, to advance the campaign.
What has RISC recently won, that we are monitoring?
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
In 2020, we determined that at least $10 million annually was needed for the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In 2021, we won an ordinance creating a dedicated funding stream, but the city administration failed to implement it. After years of building our power - from 800 people at our 2022 Action to more than 2,200 in 2025 - we worked with City Councilmembers in Spring 2026 to pass a new law dedicating 2.5% of real estate taxes to the Trust Fund. This generated $11.7 million in its first year, with $63 million committed over five years.
Our work now is to monitor the expenditure of these funds and ensure they are used to build hundreds more affordable homes for the low-income residents of Richmond who need it most.
GUN VIOLENCE
In 2020, we began calling on city leaders to implement the proven, evidence-based Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). GVRS has remarkable results cutting homicides and shootings in dozens of cities; in Baltimore, for example, it has helped drive the lowest homicide rate in 50 years.
As a result of the power we built since we first began this campaign, Mayor Avula made good on his commitment to implement this program in early 2026. The city is in the initial stages of implementation, and projects that the Problem Analysis (the first stage) will be complete by late this calendar year.
Our work now takes the form of ensuring quality implementation and tracking the results we expect to see – significantly fewer shootings and homicides.
Please contact Betty King or Charles Hanson if you are interested in being a part of the RISC Justice Ministry.