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Tough times
Study will help identify gaps in services
Robert C. Reed
Patrons enter the Hickory Soup Kitchen for lunch on Friday.
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Published: January 9, 2009
HICKORY - At last count, more than 200 people were homeless in Catawba County.
Some of the homeless are dealing with chronic illness, mental illness, substance abuse or domestic abuse. For these folks, getting back on their feet and finding a home is only a dream.
A group of Catawba County residents, non-profits and government agencies is working to find help for the less fortunate in our community by counting the homeless in hopes of getting federal support to help.
"This year, we are doing a survey-type count to identify where there are gaps in our community, where there are needs in our community," said Teena Willis, housing coordinator with Mental Health Partners.
Housing Visions Continuum of Care, a group of human services organizations, including Mental Health Partners and other county nonprofits, is conducting the count Wednesday, Jan. 28.
The count itself is mandated by North Carolina to allow the state to apply for federal money through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Willis said. The survey will give an idea of the pervasiveness of problems such as mental illness or substance abuse among the homeless.
Advocates for the homeless are bracing for a surge in people needing shelter as economic troubles ripple through the state.
No reliable numbers exist on the number of people without homes since coordinated point-in-time surveys are done just once a year in North Carolina. But schools, public shelters and other housing agencies are reporting anecdotal evidence that suggests an increase in the state's homeless population.
"We're seeing the emergency assistance picture change," said Terry Allebaugh, director of the nonprofit Housing for New Hope in Durham. "People who once needed a small amount of emergency assistance to get back on their feet after a setback like job losses are unable to find new work. They need more intensive housing services to keep them out of shelters."
Among the most immediate problems is finding shelter for people with very low incomes who cannot find affordable housing in a rental market now crowded with former homeowners. Experts predict up to 60,000 additional home foreclosures in the state in 2009.
Advocates, however, say support systems set up in the past few years offer solutions for dealing with any increase. Many cities and counties have set up 10-year plans to eliminate homelessness by increasing funding for affordable housing, mental health care, job coaching and other prevention efforts.
The local count will include only those people meeting the HUD definition of "homeless." People who do not have a home, but are staying with family or friends do not count.
However, for the count here, those people will be added.
"We know we can get a count of transient and emergency folks because we have people to count them," Willis said, referring to the agencies that will count those people taking advantage of their services Jan. 28.
The official count is set for three locations yet to be determined. Most likely, two stations will be in Hickory and one in Newton, said Judy Dahlstrom, program development coordinator with Mental Health Partners.
People coming to the stations to be counted will receive a backpack full of personal care items and clothes, donated to Housing Visions and contact information for various service organizations around the area. And Willis said the group wants the whole community to be involved.
They are looking for volunteers to man the stations — survey the people and hand out backpacks. Those volunteers must be over 18 years old.
They also are looking for donations of backpacks and items to put in those packs. Willis plans to have 250 backpacks to hand out, enough for about 30 more people than last year.
"One of the biggest things we need are sweatpants and sweatshirts," Willis said.
Monetary donations may be made, marked to the Catawba County United Way/Backpacks for the Homeless.
"We've already had a pretty good response from folks, just not enough for 250 backpacks," she said.
They are looking for restaurants to supply food and drink at the stations. Chic-fil-A has already offered to help out.
Willis said the surveys over the past four years have steadily increased, but added that's not necessarily a sign the number of homeless in the county has increased.
"We've gotten better at doing the county and each year, it gets more advanced with more agencies involved," she said.
To date, about 20 organizations are part of Housing Visions.
The count is simply a head count; no names are taken. The stations will be open from 1 to 4 p.m.
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