Homeless Leadership Coalition to begin week-long annual Point in Time Count across Central Oregon
KTVZ
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Homeless Leadership Coalition, Central Oregon’s Continuum of Care, will be kicking off the annual Point in Time Count in Central Oregon on Tuesday. The count is part of a state and national effort to identify the number of individuals experiencing homelessness.
HLC partners and volunteers will be counting sheltered and unsheltered homeless in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Today, KTVZ met with the people conducting the count locally, the Homeless Leadership Coalition. We asked them about the methods they use to collect their data.
The count is conducted in person, with assistance from an app.
In addition to collecting the person’s information, they also ask a series of questions, including where the last place the interviewee had stable shelter was.
Eliza Wilson, Chair of the homeless Leadership Coalition told us, “One of the reasons that it’s really important for us to ask how long people live in Central Oregon. And so we can really show that many of the people who experience homelessness in the local, in our area are people who are born and raised here. A lot of us have been priced out of the housing market.”
This app cannot be downloaded or used by just anyone and requires security codes from trained personnel.
This means people cannot falsely inflate the count by adding fake persons.
The app also allows them to detect and avoid duplicate entries.
The organization sent a news release that continues in full below:
The Point in Time Count attempts to capture data on both sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness.
In addition, information is gathered on a wide range of characteristics of those experiencing homelessness, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status, and disability status.
With this information, the Homeless Leadership Coalition, local governments, and agencies target services and develop plans to address the crisis of poverty and homelessness in Central Oregon.
These counts are the source of nationwide data on sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. This one-night count is required of all jurisdictions receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding to provide housing and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. This information helps the federal government to better understand the nature and extent of homelessness nationwide and direct federal funding accordingly.
Count information has also directly led to state investments in our region to impact the crisis of unsheltered homelessness that is seen across public lands in our region. The Homeless Leadership Coalition uses this data to make strategic decisions about projects to prioritize in the annual HUD funding competition.
“The Point-in-Time Count is more than a requirement from Housing and Urban Development, it’s a vital tool that helps our community see a snapshot of homelessness and respond with intention. Accurate data allows us to align resources, strengthen housing options, and dispel myths that often exist. We will continue to push toward a future where everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.”
About the Point in Time Count:
Counts will take place in La Pine, Bend, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and Warm Springs. The count is a service-based count, leveraging already existing partnerships and services to those experiencing homelessness. Surveys will be conducted from January 27th to February 2nd , asking folks where they slept on the night of Monday, January 26th.
Those counted through this effort include people living in:
● Shelters
● Transitional housing
● “Doubled up” or precariously housed with families/friends
● Camping, sleeping outdoors or in cars or RVs without full hookup
● Other places not meant for human habitation like a shed or storage unit
For more information: The media and anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to contact HLC members directly to learn more about their participation in the Point in Time Count.
About the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition: The Homeless Leadership Coalition leads a community centered, coordinated and collaborative response to prevent and end homelessness as the HUD designated Continuum of Care (OR-503) for Central Oregon.
The coalition is a collaboration of community partners in Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes counties, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, engaging the community through education, advocacy, planning, prioritizing and accountability for services to persons experiencing homelessness.
HLC members include shelter providers, public schools, public health, emergency services, veterans’ outreach, faith communities, public safety, mental health, housing services, public services, private employers, people with lived experience of homelessness and others.
HLC members represent a diverse group of interests, unified by a belief that we are stronger, healthier, safer communities where people can thrive when everyone has a safe, stable place to call home!
