C. Oregon’s ‘Point in Time’ homeless count coming up

The Homeless Leadership Coalition announced Thursday it will be kicking off the annual Point-In-Time Count of Central Oregon’s homeless population on Wednesday, January 24.

This event is a count of people who are homeless or in transitional housing in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. The count is a part of a state and national effort to identify the number of people struggling to find appropriate and adequate housing.

During the last week of January, there is a nationwide effort to count every person experiencing homelessness across the county. This Point-In-Time Count attempts to capture both sheltered and unsheltered homeless people to provide a snapshot of homelessness in the United States.

Volunteers across the region conduct a street count of people considered to be unsheltered, meaning they are living outside, and collect data on the homeless population living in emergency shelters and transitional housing.

In addition to the total number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless population, information is gathered on a wide range of characteristics of the homeless population including age, gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status and disability status.

“Starting on Wednesday, January 24th, volunteers will be conducting confidential and anonymous surveys in La Pine, Bend, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and Warm Springs,” said Molly Taroli, Pacific Source’s CCO project coordinator and HLC chairperson.

“This count will provide the most up-to-date information about the number of individuals in Central Oregon who are struggling to find adequate housing. Through this data, local agencies and programs will be able to better target support services and develop comprehensive plans to address poverty and homelessness in Central Oregon,” Taroli said.

Individuals and families counted through this effort include people living in:
Shelters
Transitional housing
“doubled up” with other families/friends
Camping or sleeping in cars
Other places not designed for human habitation

Counts will be taking place January 24th, January 25th, and January 26th, depending on location. Confirmed count sites include:

LaPine:
Calvary Church Warming Shelter
1/24/17
5p.m. (dinner)
St. Vincent de Paul
1/24/17; 1/25/17
9a.m.-3p.m.
La Pine Parole Office
1/25/17
8a.m.-4p.m.
La Pine Community Kitchen
1/24/17; 1/25/17; 1/26
11:30a.m.-2p.m.

Sunriver Care n Share
1/26/17
3.m.-5p.m.
The Door Church – Sunriver
1/25/17
5p.m. (dinner)

Bend:
Bend Church
1/24/18
7a.m.-1p.m.
DHS
1/24/17
9a.m.-5p.m.
Family Kitchen
1/25/18
12pm -6:30pm

Sisters:
Sisters Warming Shelter
1/24/17
6p.m. – (dinner)
Kiwanis Food Bank
1/25/17
9a.m.-2p.m.

Redmond:
Jericho Road/Table
1/24;1/5
5p.m.
Saint Vincent de Paul
1/24;1/25
10-2

Prineville:
Presbyterian Church
1/24/17; 1/25/17; 1/26/17 – times TBD

Madras:
First Baptist Church
1/26/17
8a.m.-7p.m.

The PIT Count is happening in conjunction with a Resource Fair. Community members are encouraged to come for a warm meal, gift cards, clothing, and resources.

Warm Springs:
Health & Human Services Branch
1/26/17
9a.m.-5p.m.

Additional agencies will survey clients seeking services, such as Shepherd’s House, Thrive, The Giving Plate, Mountain Star Family Relief, NeighborImpact, Mosaic Medical, and St. Charles.

The Point-In-Time Count planning committee will be adding additional times and locations, including Crook County locations, as the dates get closer. For more information, the media is encouraged to contact Molly Taroli, HLC Chairperson. Updated locations can also be found on the HLC website’s Community Calendar page: http://www.cohomeless.org/events/

About the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition:

The Homeless Leadership Coalition is a collaboration of community partners in Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes counties engaging the community through education, advocacy, planning prioritizing and accountability for services to persons experiencing homelessness. The HLC consists of more than 40 organizations and individuals from the tri-county region. They 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. They represent a diverse group of interests, unified by a common focus.