Home for Good wraps up Point in Time Count; talks trends in Columbus and Phenix City
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)— United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley’s Home for Good program wrapped up their annual Point in Time Count; a count used to track trends in homelessness across Columbus and Phenix City.
Vice President of Home for Good, Pat Frey, defines homelessness as those who are in a shelter, on the street, or in a place not meant for human habitation including structures without running water, electricity, or plumbing.
The data from this count will be given to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for consideration of funds.
“We also do a brief survey to get some demographic information and some information on why this individual and or household is experiencing homelessness so that we can potentially connect with resources that can help fit or fill the immediate need and then the long term need of access to permanent housing resources,” Frey shared.
The Point in Time Count also provides Home for Good insight to potential patterns of individuals to help them reach back out to those experiencing homelessness.
“Our folks are on the street at least five days a week on the River Walk, in encampments, and in various locations throughout the city engaging with those who are experiencing homelessness and trying to directly connect them with services again, immediate needs to be met. And then for the long-term housing resources,” Frey shared.
More on the Point in Time Count can be found, here.
Frey has been conducting the Point in Time Count for the last eight years.
“We have seen a 30% decrease since 2016, but last year we saw a 13% increase from the year before,” Frey said. “So, it has gone up over the span of time since 2016.”
Frey says several factors contribute to this upwards trend: a 30-40% increase in rental costs in 18 months, joblessness, plus the ongoing strains of COVID.
Charles Jeffries is one of 60 volunteers that set out Tuesday morning apart of the count. He has been in touch with the homeless community either with Home for Good, or SafeHouse Ministries for the past 10 years.
“They’re telling us that they need housing, and they need resources. The biggest issue is unemployment. And the unemployment really stems from some kind of substance abuse issue or some kind of mental health issue,” Jeffries shared. “The trends actually have gone from a younger culture. And part of it is because they’re aging and they’re still homeless, but the homeless population has gone up in age. It’s not a lot of younger folks out there, it’s middle aged 50’s, 60’s kind of thing.”
He led a group of volunteers along 2nd Avenue and Broadway for the count, an area that is often associated with progress and economic development. Jeffries asks people to take a deeper look at the communities around them.
“Be mindful of the route that you take and look around, just be mindful and be observant. And if you see something, call 211 or United Way and we’ll go out and check it out. Our Outreach Team will talk with them and see if we can get them off the streets,” Jeffries shared. “The biggest misconception is criminality within the homeless community, and violence. The folks that I’ve met over the ten years that I’ve been doing this are just as nice as you and I. And of course, there is some criminal activity with theft and stuff like that, but they’re just trying to survive. But overall, it’s a decent community that just needs a helping hand to move forward in life.”
While the count wrapped up Tuesday morning, it will not be finalized for another three weeks.
Home for Good also provides some direct services of rental assistance. Anyone who sees or knows someone who may be experiencing homelessness is asked to call 211 or United Way at 706-327-3255.
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