Homeless population up

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

More people are homeless in Rowan County this year, according to an annual count that tracks the homeless population.

The Point in Time count is conducted once a year. This year's count was conducted during a 24-hour period Jan. 27-28.

"It's a snapshot of the homeless population, including those who are sheltered and unsheltered. It's a one-night census of the homeless," said Tracy Asbury, the Rowan County coordinator for the Point in Time count.

The count, which is done nationwide, determines how much funding a particular community will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It's part of the agency's 10-year plan to eradicate homelessness.

This year, 146 people were counted as homeless in Rowan County. In 2009, the survey counted 93 homeless people in the county.

An additional 165 people counted this year are considered "housing at-risk," and 48 people are part of a permanent support program or may have a disability but also receive housing assistance.

Despite last year's recession and the still-troubled economy, this year's count is not the highest in the past five years. In 2008, Rowan had 148 homeless people, and there were 220 the year before. The count for 2006 was 125 and the count for 2005 was 58, the lowest number recorded thus far.

During the 24-hour census, volunteers from the Hefner VA Medical Center, ARC/Rowan, Rowan County Sheriff's Office, Hanford Dole Chapter of the American Red Cross, Food Lion, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and Rowan-Salisbury School System count people who are housing at-risk, which includes those who are considered "imminently homeless" and "precariously housed."

A person considered imminently homeless may sleep in a car, reside in a shelter or live in a tent or some other non-permanent structure.

Precariously housed people may live with a relative or friend or may be facing eviction from an apartment.

"Imminently homeless also means they don't really have a place of their own, they move from place to place, or they don't quite fit under the HUD definition of homeless," said Jim Curtin, who is the Piedmont Regional Continuum of Care coordinator.

The Continuum of Care uses the figures in applying for grants from Housing and Urban Development. Grants provide funding for housing assistance. This includes funding for staff, specifically a housing case manager and housing coordinator, Curtin said.

"This will bring more funds in the area to be able to address the population, whether that means more crisis assistance or more funding for food pantries. If we are able to get more funding, then they will provide more services in the area," Shakirah Francis, program director of Community Link, said.

Community Link is the agency that finds companies and organizations to volunteer to count individuals and collects data. Community Link tallies up the numbers, does another count and presents the results to the state, she said.

In addition to Rowan, the Continuum of Care includes Cabarrus, Davidson, Stanly and Union counties.

This year in Cabarrus County, there were 97 homeless people, 381 classified as housing at-risk and 16 listed under permanent support.

In Davidson County, volunteers tallied 192 homeless either sheltered or unsheltered and eight who qualified as permanent support. None were listed as housing at-risk.

This year, Stanly had 37 homeless people, six people considered housing at-risk and one counted as permanent support.

The 2010 total for Union County places 134 people on the sheltered or unsheltered list, two people considered housing at-risk and six people considered for permanent support.

Francis noted the numbers don't give a complete picture.

"We know there are more people out there. The hardest part is those who are not counted. We make sure that we don't overlook them once they decide they want to reach out and receive services," Francis said.

Asbury, Curtin and Francis agree that one reason for the increase in the number of homeless people in Rowan County could be that more volunteers were counting this year than in the past, allowing them to reach more people.

Curtin said it could also be the economy.

"It seems to be an upward trend. When the financial situation is poor, we have a high rate of unemployment and foreclosures. It logically would lend itself to an increase," he said.