Point In Time Homeless Count data released

* Results from the count conducted on January 30

WICHITA, Kan., April 11, 2008 -- United Way today released data from the annual "Point In Time Count of Homeless Persons" conducted on January 30. On that day, the count identified 473 homeless individuals (according to the definition from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]-see below).

"This detailed study involved volunteers literally walking the streets of Wichita and other parts of Sedgwick County to obtain a comprehensive count of homeless individuals," said Patrick J. Hanrahan, president of United Way of the Plains.

The annual count by the Community Council of Homeless Advocacy's Continuum of Care involved 97 volunteers from United Way of the Plains, Sedgwick County, the City of Wichita and the community in general. After being trained for the count, volunteers went to all emergency shelters, walked the streets of targeted urban and suburban locations, and included repeated scans of various geographic areas. See the details in the next page's Preliminary Summary of 2008 Point In Time Homeless Count.

HUD requires a "Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons" across the country. Communities need accurate data on homelessness to determine the size and scope of the homeless problem at the local level, plan services and programs appropriately to address local needs, measure progress in addressing homelessness, and measure performance of individual programs and the system as a whole. HUD needs data to understand the extent and nature of homelessness throughout the country, to make funding decisions and more.

HUD's definition of a homeless person: According to HUD, a person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in one of the following places:
* A sheltered homeless person resides in: an emergency shelter, transitional housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or emergency shelters
* An unsheltered homeless person resides in: a place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the streets
The definition does not include persons who are staying in a home or hotel/motel, with a friend, in a treatment facility or in the jail.

Summary of 2008 Point In Time Homeless Count

Definition of "homeless" for this count:
According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in one of the following places:
* A sheltered homeless person resides in:
- An emergency shelter,
- Transitional housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or emergency shelters
* An unsheltered homeless person resides in:
- A place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the streets
NOTE: This definition does not include people who are staying in a home or hotel/motel, with a friend, in a treatment facility or in the jail.

Results of the annual Point in Time Homeless Count
Information below is comparable to the information that was reported in previous years.

Statistics of the 2008 count:    
Number of respondents who were approached/counted through the Point In Time Count: 839
Minus duplicated or declined -332
Equals number of respondents whose information was included in the count: 507
Minus number of respondents who did not meet HUD definition of being homeless,
including people who are staying:  in a home or hotel/motel, with a friend, in a treatment
facility or in the jail  (due to updated HUD guidelines regarding the Point In Time Count) -34
Total number of respondents who did meet HUD definition of being homeless 473

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CONTACT: Delane Butler, Vice President of Marketing, 267-1321