Palm Beach County Commission Chairman Jeff Koons and Commissioner Shelley Vana, along with county staff and volunteers from local human service organizations, will conduct a point-in-time homeless count to determine the number of homeless individuals and families residing in Palm Beach County in a given 24-hour period. Biennial homeless counts are required for communities that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Federal, state and some private foundations rely on the results of this count to determine grant awards.
The count is scheduled to start at noon on Jan. 28, 2009 and will end at noon on Jan. 29, 2009. Approximately 140 volunteers and staff are expected to participate, counting homeless at food pantries, meal sites, shelters and camps. Five dollar gift cards and/or meals will be provided to the homeless participants to encourage their participation and compensate them for their time. (This follows a national best practice model.) The Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT) will be traveling throughout the county accompanied by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Unit. The results of this year’s count will be released by the end of March.
The point-in-time count seeks to identify the number of homeless individuals and families in Palm Beach County. During a 24-hour period, county and social service agency staff and volunteers go into the community to gather information on homeless populations. The count not only measures the needs of the homeless, but also provides direction for future development of housing services. It is an important tool for resource development and planning. Results of the count provide the community with vital information to use in obtaining funding to support programs for the homeless in our county.
Everyone benefits from a successful count: homeless individuals and families as well as shelters, food pantries, treatment programs, social services agencies and ultimately the community at large.
For more information, visit www.pbcgov.com/communityservices, or call 561-355-4775.
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Government
