On Jan. 28, the state of Kansas plans to find out how many homeless people are living within its borders.
The one-day count is planned through the sponsorship of the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. and the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, with cooperation from the United Way of the Plains, which will lead the counting effort with help from staff members, city and county officials, law enforcement officers, SRS workers, volunteers and, occasionally, homeless individuals.
Lyon and Greenwood counties are among the 40 counties involved in the project.
The count is part of “Everybody Counts!” Month, proclaimed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
“We want to talk with homeless individuals face to face,” said James Chiselom, KHRC’s Emergency Shelter Grant Program Manager in a news release. “We want to know how long they’ve been homeless, why they became homeless, and if they are caring for children.”
The one-day “snapshot” is intended to establish a baseline count of the number of homeless in Kansas, to give a better understanding of how many people are affected and ways help can be tailored to best benefit them.
The “Point-in-Time” surveys are not scientific, the release said, but they allow communities to look at trends in the homeless population.
The survey may include questions about:
• Where the person stayed the night of the count
• The length of time the person has been homeless
• The number of times the person has been homeless
• Family size and whether they are caring for children
• Veteran status, if applicable
• Mental health, substance abuse or domestic violence issues
• HIV/AIDS-related illnesses
The surveys will include homeless individuals who are staying in shelters or living in cars, abandoned buildings, under bridges, or other sites. Results are expected to be released by the end of April.
Communities and local organizations that participate in homeless assistance planning programs — referred to as “Continuum of Care” networks — can receive grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD requires the Point-in-Time counts to maintain and use federal funding.
People who want to volunteer for the count may call Chiselom at (785) 296-7236, or Delane Butler of United Way of the Plains, (316) 267-1321.
Other counties involved in the count are: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Cherokee, Clark, Cloud, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Douglas, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Graham, Harvey, Jefferson, Johnson, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Pawnee, Phillips, Reno, Riley, Russell, Saline, Seward, Shawnee, Stanton, Thomas and Wyandotte.