The Joint Office of Homeless Services has set the 2017 Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County for Feb. 22 – 28, 2017. The point-in-time count provides a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness at a given point in time in Portland, Gresham and Multnomah County. It is required by the federal government for metropolitan jurisdictions that receive federal funds for homeless services.
The count had been scheduled to begin Jan. 25. Organizers said today they are rescheduling the five-day effort as unprecedented severe weather has disrupted the population numerous times in the last month and exhausted the volunteers needed to conduct it.“Holding a count so soon after these historic storms would almost certainly affect our ability to fully staff this extensive effort, identify all the people living on the street and be able to compare the results to previous years,’’ said Marc Jolin, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services. “The count gives us important information and we want it to be as accurate as possible.’’
Near record-breaking snow and cold since late December prompted both the city of Portland and state of Oregon to issue emergency declarations.
Severe weather warming centers operated 23 nights out of the last 42, including 16 of the last 17. Last night, 807 people were in additional severe weather warming center beds - a more than 50 percent increase over our normal seasonal and year-round emergency night shelter population.
Existing professional and volunteer outreach teams, as well as police and fire personnel, have been working around-the-clock through multiple weather events to deliver aid and services.
These extraordinary efforts have required the full attention of a wide range of homeless service providers, outreach workers, and volunteers who would normally be engaged in preparation for the Point in Time Count.
In the coming week, the Joint Office for Homeless Services will reach out to participating sites and volunteers to schedule trainings and distribution of materials. To learn more about the count, or to sign up to volunteer, please visit http://ahomeforeveryone.net/streetcount/