The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded more than $19 million to support 105 homeless housing and service programs in Kentucky.
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“So now having a youth specific, we’re separating that out so we can show that there is a need”, said Annette Beebe, a homeless youth case manager with the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee. According to the census two-years ago there were 200 to 300 homeless people unsheltered and about 900 homeless people were sheltered.
Those surveyed also get information on services to help them get back on their feet and give them things they need like IDs and social security cards. The House of T.I.M.E. purchased 400 boxes of food from Feeding The Valley Food Bank and donated the boxes to the PIT Count. And the results are somewhat grim, said Dan Straughan, executive director of the Homeless Alliance.
The shelter now provides short-term housing and transitional services for 13 men.
There also is an emergency shelter, which operates 24-7. The number includes people who are experiencing homelessness on both sheltered and unsheltered areas. Clients must agree to allow advocates to continue trying to offer them supportive services, but they don’t necessarily have to accept services, Gillespie said. Just because they’re hidden doesn’t mean they don’t exist or count. “It’s going to get better”, said Foster, adding she expected to stay with her grandmother that night. This year’s K-Count will be conducted for the Big Sandy region on January 31, and Jacqueline Long highlights the importance of agency participation and organizational or individual volunteering, which is encouraged in order to discover the most accurate levels of homelessness affecting our region. “If you do not have the ability to go home tonight and 100% be able to put your key in that door and know you can lay your head down on a bed, you fall under HUD’s definition [of homeless]”.
Resue-Watts is working with McKee on finding a more permanent home, but in the meantime, she’s a shelter guest. The survey identifies how they make money, their level of education, foster care history and other factors to help advocates more clearly identify their challenges.
“We’re not judging anyone”, said Snyder, a public relations specialist at Housing Opportunities. She said the Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition does the count for Chautauqua County on the last Thursday of the month. The report from the January 2017 count was released in April.
The Temple resident who said he sleeps under a bridge said he wishes there were more shelters.
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Why the increase? Mauthe said resources to help people struggling with housing insecurity is at capacity between the Fox Valley Warming Shelter, Homeless Connections and Harbor House. “Volunteers surveyed 201 individuals on Monday evening at local shelters”.
