Decreases in Homelessness among Veterans and Families

Our last post revealed that 999 people in the region are experiencing homelessness which reflects a 13.2% decrease from the peak in January 2009.  This year’s point-in-time count included a record low number of children living in homeless shelters and a 31.5% decrease in the number of veterans living in shelters or on the streets of our region.  These decreases reaffirm that our region’s service providers respond with compassion and professionalism to address homelessness, especially among our most vulnerable neighbors and our military veterans.

Specific highlights from January 2013 point-in-time count on children and veterans experiencing homelessness including:

Children

• 114 children were counted in the one-day homeless count. This is the lowest number of children living in shelters since Homeward and our partners began counting in 1999.
• 9.1% of homeless persons have children living with them.
• In spite of success in reducing the number of children staying in shelters, area schools report that there are increased numbers of children living with friends and family, in hotels/motels, and in other inadequate housing situations.

Veterans

• 35.1% of veterans reported that they served in combat.  67.0% were honorably discharged, and 22.0% received a general discharge. 
• Around half served between 1972-1982, with the other half serving between 1983 -2013.

We are encouraged by the decreases we are measuring, but we know there is more work to do to improve housing stability for our neighbors.  By keeping our focus on the needs expressed in this survey, we can reduce the number of people in a housing crisis in our community and help those who lose their housing to regain stability as quickly as possible.

Winter Count Reflects Continued Gains in Fight to End Homelessness

Regional collaborations among homeless service providers and the emphasis on best practices to serve homeless families are making a real difference for our neighbors.  

January 24th marked our 15th Winter Point-in-Time Count; a twice-annual census where we count the number of people staying in homeless shelters or sleeping outdoors.  Preliminary results reveal 999 people in the region experiencing homelessness on the 24th.  This number reflects a 4.1% decrease in the number of people overall in shelters or on the streets, with a 13.0% decrease in the number of children staying in homeless shelters in our region, from January 2012 to January 2013. The number of individuals sleeping outdoors or staying in a hypothermia shelter increased from January 2012 to January 2013, but still remained 9.2% below the peak of street homelessness in January 2009.

January 2013 Point-In-Time Count
OVERALL POPULATION
Total point-in-time	999
Total children in Point-in-time count	114
UNSHELTERED POPULATION
Unsheltered	170
SHELTERED POPULATION
Emergency Shelter: unaccompanied adults	222
Emergency Shelter: persons in families (incl. children)	89
Transitional Shelter: unaccompanied adults	423
Transitional Shelter: persons in families (incl. children)	95

 What do these numbers mean for our community?

For families:  Our regional homeless services network has been implementing proven best practices, such as rapid re-housing for homeless families.  The reduction in the number of children living in shelters is proof that this approach works.  However, our partners in prevention programs and in the local school systems have seen increases in the number of children and families at risk of homelessness.  We are encouraged from our recent reductions that we will be able to ensure that all of our neighbors have a safe, affordable, and stable place to live.

For individuals sleeping outdoors: With the coldest single day count since the start of our Ten Year Plan, we measured an increase in the number of people in a hypothermia shelter or in makeshift encampments in the region.  We are committed to continuing to help people get off the streets through targeting permanent supportive housing resources and coordinating outreach efforts in the region.

In addition to performing a count of people experiencing homelessness, individuals also completed a detailed survey conducted by local volunteers.  Answers to the 70-question survey are used to obtain specific information on how to better respond to the issue of homelessness. Check back in March for comprehensive findings from the count.

Remembering Lowndes Burke

Today, I attended the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Lowndes Burke, a member of Homeward’s Board of Directors.  The service at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church overflowed with members of the Richmond community who benefited from knowing Lowndes.  Lowndes joined our Board in part because of his work at Wells Fargo Bank, and I am even more thankful for that relationship today.  Lowndes brought a dedication to the community and a long history of service to our work to end homelessness.  He was thoughtful and responsive.  He asked good questions and was supportive.  He will truly be missed.

Please read Lowndes’s obituary to learn more about his incredible commitment to the Richmond community.

 

Clinic facilitates community conversation about change

Facilitators from the National Alliance to End Homelessness recently led a two day clinic for over 50 stakeholders from the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care.  The Performance Improvement Clinic provided an overview of system transformation and the shift to outcomes-based public funding for homeless services.

Jill from Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness shared about her experience at the Performance Improvement Clinic on VCEH’s blog.  In one section she discusses an exercises from the clinic:

One of the small group exercises was a “Homeless System Simulation.”  Beads representing people experiencing homelessness were placed on boards representing different interventions and programs. Each round of game play represented individuals coming into the system, being placed in different interventions, and then moving to into permanent housing, staying in shelter, or going back on the streets.  As expected, when we tallied each group’s final score of unsheltered persons, groups that made changes based on the interventions that worked best had less unsheltered persons.  The groups that performed the best operated with a sense of urgency — quickly looking at what was going on, identifying what was working, and making the decision together to change.  We all know that in real life this type of community transformation is much more complicated – sometimes overwhelmingly complicated.

The simulation exercise allowed service providers to make hard decisions about interventions in a fun way.  But, as Jill mentioned, actual community transformation is complicated.  Our community needs to transform our planning processes from a system of collegial-minded partners who value data to a more formal, outcomes-based network which uses data to sustain and measure systemic change.  We have an opportunity to redefine our community-based stakeholders to align with this emphasis on outcomes and shared performance measurements.  We a lot of exciting and challenging work ahead of us.  We will keep you posted along the way.

Point-in-Time Count: My struggle between immediate needs and permanent solutions

Last week, I participated in my first Point-in-Time Count, the regional homeless census coordinated semi-annually by Homeward. I spent most of the day in a coordinating role, but I did have the opportunity to survey one person – “John.” The first survey question asks, “Where will you sleep tonight?” John answered with the response no one wants to hear, “outside.” As we continued, he was friendly and open through all of my questions. That night, I walked outside into the bitter cold and was smacked by the reality of his situation. John will be sleeping outside tonight. This reality made the survey seem silly to me – How was the information I just collected going to make a difference to John as he sleeps outside in the freezing cold tonight?

Of course, I know the Point-in-Time Count data is critical to homeless services in our community. The data collected is used to guide programming, obtain funding, and garner community support to end homelessness. I struggle with the face that completing a survey did not benefit his circumstances that night. He honored me with his time and honesty, and I was not able to honor him with a warm, safe place to stay.

I will never lose my sense of urgency when working with a person in crisis, but I have to step back to see how different pieces fits together to create a successful homeless service system. Our system has individuals and agencies working tirelessly to provide shelter and services to individuals now, as well as build housing infrastructure for the future. The Point-in-Time Count provides a benchmark to determine if we are being successful in our efforts, and where we need to improve.

The Count learns directly from those experiencing homelessness about their demographics, experiences, needs, and what they believe will get them into housing. This information is shared with program directors, funders, legislators, executives, and community members. So, directors can see what is working and what isn’t to better serve community needs; funders can receive required information to support necessary programming; and the public can better understand homelessness by finding personal connections to their vulnerable neighbors.

The knowledge, funding, and community support gained through the Point-in-Time Count helps build permanent solutions to homelessness in our community, which makes the Count not just a benchmark, but a catalyst for change. No one should ever have to sleep outside like John did on Thursday, January 24th. The data we collect will help individuals, like John, maintain housing for the rest of their lives.

The Richmond Region Point-in-Time Count took place on Thursday, January 24th. Over 100 volunteers searched outdoors in Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico, and they attended seven meal programs in the city to survey individuals in housing crisis. The Point-in-Time Count not only counts individuals living outdoors. All of the shelters participate by surveying and counting the adults and children staying in shelter. This gives us a snapshot of homelessness in our region. Stay posted – Homeward will share the findings from the Region’s Point-in-Time Count in March.

If you meet someone living outdoors, please direct them to Commonwealth Catholic Charities’ Homeless Point of Entry (HPE) to find shelter. HPE can be reached at 804.648.4177 or at 1400 Oliver Hill Way between 9AM and 5PM. If the temperature is at or below 40 degrees the City of Richmond’s Cold Weather Shelter will be open from 7PM to 6AM located at 14 West Duval St.  For a more comprehensive list of services available in Richmond please see Homeward’s Street Sheet.

Searching for our Forgotten Neighbors

Wherever I travel around the Richmond region, whether I’m out for a run or driving to a meeting, I keep my eyes peeled for signs of neighbors living on the margins – in unexpected places not meant for human habitation. I scan bridge underpasses, vacant lots, and even the field behind my local library branch for signs of life. Working in homeless services over the years has made me aware there are many faces of homelessness and that they are often invisible. I keep this lookout mostly so that we don’t miss these hidden people during our next count of people experiencing homelessness.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development definition of homelessness includes, among other things, “places not meant for human habitation.” As part of Homeward’s twice-yearly counts of people experiencing homelessness, I have gone to encampments and met the inhabitants. Along with people from our partner organizations, I’ve trudged through fields and searched hidden places, always looking for our forgotten neighbors. Going to these places reminds me that the work we do at Homeward and the outreach, case management, and housing brokerage work done by our partners is urgent.

Just as there are many faces of homelessness, I know that the solutions come in many forms. Counting semi-annually is both the beginning point for solutions and the measurement of our community’s outcomes. It informs the strategy, lets us know if our efforts are working, and tells us that the need is still great. People living outdoors may have lost hope; they may seek out hidden outdoor places so they can nurture their hidden wounds in private. I look, and we count so that we can bring hope, housing, and dignity back to all of our neighbors.

The next Point-in-Time Count is Thursday, January 24th. The PIT Count is a twice-yearly census hosted by Homeward to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region. Homeward collects specific information about how we can better assist some of our region’s most vulnerable residents. The census takes place across the Greater Richmond region with the cooperation of shelter providers, meal programs, Departments of Social Services, and police.  For more information visit www.homewardva.org/pitcount. 

Preliminary Findings Reflect Gains in Fight to End Homelessness

Preliminary Findings Reflect Gains in Fight to End Homelessness

Homeward released initial findings from its 14th Winter Point-in-Time Count. The twice-yearly census provides a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single day. Preliminary results reveal 1,040 people in the region experiencing homelessness on January 26, 2012. This number reflects a 5.6% decrease in the number of people overall experiencing homelessness, with a 10.9% decrease in the number of people living on the streets in our region, from January 2011 to January 2012. After a spike in family homelessness in 2011, the number of homeless children is returning to 2010 levels.

January 2012 Winter Point-In-Time Count
Overall Population
Total Point in Time	1,040	5.6% decrease
Total Children in Point in Time Count	131	17.6% decrease
Unsheltered Population
Unsheltered	147	10.9% decrease
Sheltered Population
Emergency Shelter: unaccompanied adults		221
Emergency Shelter: persons in families (incl. children)		65
Transitional Shelter: unaccompanied adults		464
Transitional Shelter: persons in families (incl. children)		143

Overall Population
	January 2008	January 2009	January 2010	January 2011	January 2012
Total Point in Time	1,073	1,150	1,012	1,102	1,040
Total Children in Point in Time Count	153	136	131	159	131
Unsheltered Population
Unsheltered	166	184	152	166	147

In March Homeward will release comprehensive findings from the count, including results from questions on a variety of economic indicators, transportation needs of people experiencing homelessness, and health-related topics.