County prepares to tally homeless

Dozens of volunteers will spend the greater part of Thursday counting Snohomish County’s homeless people.

They will conduct the annual count so the county and the federal government know how much aid to provide.

How to help

Call the liaison in your area to volunteer for the annual Homeless Point-in-Time Count of Snohomish County’s homeless people.

NORTH COUNTY

Anji Jorstad: 425-349-6835

EAST COUNTY

Bill Humphreys: 425-259-3192, ext. 223

CENTRAL COUNTY

Dana Libby: 425-259-8129

SOUTH COUNTY

Mary Anne Dillon: 425-258-2766

Federal law requires the annual Homeless Point-in-Time Count, said Bill Humphreys, director of basic needs for Volunteers of America.

But an accurate count also helps position the county to receive more federal funds for housing and services for the homeless.

“The effort to try to essentially do something like a census of homeless families and individuals is a single point in time where we get a better understanding of who’s homeless, how many are homeless and some of the circumstances of their homelessness,” Humphreys said.

Last year’s count tallied almost 2,500 homeless in Snohomish County.

Volunteers from all of the county’s major human services agencies will participate, as will volunteers from communities around the county. Organizers are still looking for volunteers, he said.

The county will be divided into four sections for the count – north, central, east and south. Those who help with the count in each area will go out in pairs for three-hour shifts and “respectfully approach individuals that they wonder if they’re homeless or not,” Humphreys said.

If the person or family is willing, the volunteers will administer an anonymous survey.

More than 24,000 homeless people were turned away from emergency shelters in 2004 because there wasn’t room for them. And the number of homeless continues to grow in Snohomish County, Humphreys said.

This year’s count coincides with the release of a homeless housing plan that aims to reduce Snohomish County homelessness by 50 percent by 2015.

The plan calls for creation of 2,500 new affordable housing units in the county by 2012, with the help of state funding.

The new housing will target a number of groups, including the chronically homeless, families with children, people with mental illnesses, children aging out of the foster care system and people leaving prison.

Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@heraldnet.com.

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