HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – A leading homeless support service in Harrisonburg says that it provided shelter for 160 different people over the winter – and helped 10 of them find permanent housing.

Those findings were released yesterday as part of Open Doors’ annual Thermal Report, which breaks down who is using the service the most, along with the reasons why they need help.

According to Executive Director Nathaniel Riddle, most visitors who self-reported a disability said that mental health was their biggest barrier to housing.

“What we see is that folks with significant mental health challenges have a difficulty living independently or sustaining employment,” Riddle said. “Thus, they find themselves experiencing homelessness and so that just means that as a community, our organization, others really have to be intentional about how we support them and how they’re supported in their journey to housing and after their house.”

He added that Open Doors was able to help 19 people either find or keep their jobs.

The full report can be found at valleyopendoors.org.