San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless

San Diego County - 2011 Homeless Count Up 3.3% FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Peter Callstrom - Executive Director Regional Task Force on The Homeless (RTFH) 858-292-1392 SAN DIEGO - Friday, February 11, 2011 The Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH) conducted the County's annual Point-In-Time Count (PITC) on January 28, 2011. With 550 volunteers participating, this was the most thorough count since the project's inception in 2005. The PITC is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Results are reported in City and Countyfederal grant applications that are submitted to HUD each year. The PITC identifies the number of homeless individuals (sheltered and unsheltered) and documents their specific location. It also captures detailed demographic information on a subset of these individuals. This data is vital when identifying strategies and services that can enable people to leave the street. It is important to note that the PITC is not a comprehensive count of homelessness in San Diego County. Due to the inherent challenge of finding, identifying, and counting every person who is homeless during the PITC, this count cannot account for every single person. Many persons are hidden from view, may be residing temporarily with friends or family, or are simply inaccessible during the count. In addition, the count only captures the number of homeless individuals on one night of the year. However, the PITC does provide a very important snapshot of homelessness that can be compared over time. The PITC is one part of our ongoing process to identify, assess, and support individuals and families who are homeless. HUD uses PITC data when compiling the 'Annual Homeless Assessment Report - AHAR' which was reported to Congressin June, 2010. For more information on the AHAR, please click this link. The aggregate count of the PITC process has been completed. Of note: The 2011 Overall count (sheltered and street): 8,802 (up from 8,517 in 2010) - an increase of 3.3%. The 2011 Unsheltered/street count: 4,758 (up from 4,599 in 2010) - an increase of 3.5%. The 2011 Sheltered: 4,044 (up from 3,918 in 2010) - an increase of 3.2%. Specific counts and analysis per city are currently being compiled, reviewed, and analyzed. Further details on city/regional counts will be released in the first quarter of 2011. These very challenging times have resulted in many more people at risk of homelessness, including families, seniors, youth, and many other vulnerable individuals," states Peter Callstrom, RTFH Executive Director. Callstrom further stated, "Our collective goal is to not only prevent and alleviate, but to ultimately end homelessness in our region. This is a solvable problem. The PITC is an extremely important component that enables us to understand and then to act on the knowledge." The Point-In-Time Count (PITC) Components: The Count: January 28, 2011 - between 4am and 8am. HUD mandates that the count occur in the last week of January in order to avoid duplicate counts. Cities across the country conduct a PITC as a requirement to qualify for funding from HUD. Unsheltered Count: people sleeping on the street, in parks, the beach etc. Volunteers conducted a visual count throughout the County. Sheltered Count: people living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens, and in hotels/motels (with voucher). In-depth questionnaire/surveys: Volunteers administer surveys of homeless persons (sheltered and unsheltered) during the first half of February. Approximately 15-20% of all homeless persons are interviewed. As many as 2500 surveys will be completed, providing a wealth of data on homeless individuals in our region. Results from this study will be released later in the year. Reporting: The count and survey data will be reviewed, confirmed, and analyzed by the RTFH. Results will be shared via our website (www.RTFHSD.org) and periodic press releases. Why the Point-In-Time Count (PITC) is critical to San Diego: People: There are 10,000+ individuals and families who experience homelessness at some point during the year in San Diego County Funding: Results leads to millions in funds for local agencies Understanding: PITC data leads to targeted services and measurable results Knowledge: To provide agencies with key data - critical for federal and state grant applications Action: Awareness of the scope of the problem leads to the knowledge needed to act Results: Ending homelessness benefits EVERYONE About The Regional Task Force on The Homeless (RTFH): The Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH) manages the county-wide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a comprehensive and secure online data system used by service providers to conduct case management, to track persons served, to refer individuals and families to critical resources, and to gather and analyze key demographics and trends. Charged with this responsibility by the Regional Continuum of Care Council (RCCC), the RTFH is the data center on homelessness for our region. The RTFH is San Diego County's data center and technical resource for information on homelessness. We support, empower, and collaborate with San Diego County's homeless service providers on a myriad of issues. The RTFH provides technical assistance, training, research, and critical data reports to many stakeholders: service providers, cities, the County, elected officials, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We conduct the annual 'Point-In-Time' Count (PITC). Mandated by HUD throughout the country, the PITC provides our region with critical insights into understanding the scope, trends, and impact of homelessness. Working together, we can better understand homelessness, develop best practices and ensure sustainable solutions that enable people to become housed. Additional Resources: www.rtfhsd.org - San Diego County - Regional Task Force on The Homeless (RTFH) www.endhomelessness.org - The National Alliance To End Homelessness www.usich.gov - The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness www.hudhre.info/pit - HUD Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE) ### follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 RTFH, All rights reserved. RCCC list Our mailing address is: RTFH 4699 Murphy Canyon Road San Diego, CA 92123