San Francisco To Conduct Homeless Population Count-Can We Count On You To Help?

-Trent Rhorer, Executive Director, Human Services Agency

Our city was once considered as having the most pervasive homeless problem in the country. Today our city is looked upon as a model for the rest of the nation in how to succeed in the challenge of ending chronic homelessness. In an effort to continue the city’s successful homeless outreach, and as a way to measure and refine the effectiveness of our housing programs, the Human Services Agency (HSA) will be conducting a city-wide homeless population count. This bi-annual count will be conducted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

You are invited to join in with hundreds of volunteers who will fan out across San Francisco counting people living on its streets. For the first time ever, the City’s goal is to cover the entire geographic area of the City and County of San Francisco. In the past, the count has focused on predetermined areas where the homeless are known to congregate. On the same night, the City will also conduct a census of homeless persons living in shelters and other city sponsored programs to help establish a more comprehensive accounting of the extent of homelessness in San Francisco.

Mayor Newsom also encourages any interested individuals to get involved with the homeless count. He agrees that an accurate count of our homeless community is essential to determining the effectiveness of our homeless outreach efforts. The Mayor also acknowledges that we have a long way to go toward ending chronic homelessness in San Francisco but this count offers evidence that we are on the right track.

Along the same lines this count helps us refine our plans to address homelessness in our City, and analyze the effectiveness of current programs. This will be our most ambitious count to date as we are covering the entire city and coordinating extensively with other City agencies as well as the community.

The street count, which is required of all cities and counties receiving federal homeless assistance funding, is conducted once every two years. San Francisco’s last homeless count, which was conducted in January of 2005, revealed that the City’s point-in-time homeless population numbered 6,248. This represented a 28% decrease from the previous count, conducted in 2002.

To achieve the count, planners have divided the City into 150 counting routes. Volunteer counters will travel the routes by foot or by car, noting all homeless persons observed on tally sheets. The Human Services Agency is leading the effort with vital collaboration by the San Francisco Police Department, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Public Works, and the Recreation and Park Department. Numerous non-profit agencies have participated in community meetings to help plan the count and will encourage their staff to participate in the count as volunteers.

The organizers of this year’s Homeless Count are still seeking volunteers to help with the count and also to perform administrative and clerical tasks on the night of the count. Those interested may contact homelesscount07@sfgov.org, or call (415) 558-2346. Further information about Homeless Count is available at www.sfgov.org/lhcb.

Comments

[Ann Garrison]

Whew. . . Count the Homeless Night in the City and County of San Francisco. Very bad night to be homeless here. I do hope to have a roof over my head on this night.

And no, sorry, I cannot volunteer to participate in such a sick twisted, and sociopathic objectification of other people.

[RPM]

It seems that it would be a better idea to count the homeless in warm weather. This way they would be more visible, possibly not bundled away in some non-city regulated covering. I'm betting during these cold months that many homeless bundled up anywhere they can find warm shelter. Probably way off the streets. Maybe in friends homes, and SRO's etc. And maybe the city isn't getting the real good count, because it seems very difficult to count the homeless during the coldest part of the year. Just a suggestion.

RPMmini