Point in Time Count helps counties understand scope of homelessness
(Photo above: The Point in Time event also provided backpacks, sleeping bags, coats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, food and more, to those in need who participated in the survey. The backpacks were provided by Community Action Council.)
Chelan County and 15 nonprofit partners conducted the annual Homeless Point in Time Count on Feb. 24 at Link Transit’s Columbia Station in Wenatchee.
The information gathered annually by local municipalities and nonprofits participating in the national event demonstrates the need in communities across the country for homeless housing services, based on the number of people experiencing homelessness on the day of the Point in Time count, explained Sasha Sleiman, Chelan County housing coordinator and a coordinator of the outreach event.
“The information gathered will help policymakers understand the real-life situations of those people experiencing homelessness and, in the end, help us make more informed decisions to help remedy this growing need for affordable housing,” Sleiman said. “The data also will help us identify gaps in the services already available in our community.”
On Feb. 24, outreach teams surveyed 163 people experiencing homelessness in Chelan and Douglas counties. The number of people surveyed is a combination of people who came to the planned outreach event at Link Transit and people who were approached by outreach teams in Chelan and Douglas counties that were looking to connect people with resources and services. The outreach effort was from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Outreach teams included employees from Catholic Charities, Community Action Council, HopeSource’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, Veteran’s Affairs, YWCA, Wenatchee Rescue Mission, Northwest Justice Project, and SAGE.
Surveys conducted by outreach teams aimed to collect a variety of demographic information, including how long someone has been without a permanent home, where they reside, where they are from, and whether or not they had been denied access to a shelter or would go to a shelter if available. Demographic questions included age, race, gender, veteran status, children under 18 in the household and if they were fleeing domestic violence.
Of the 163 people interviewed, 123 people were unsheltered, meaning they were living out of doors, in a vehicle or RV, in an abandoned building, or in a tent or other outdoor area not meant for habitation. In addition, 275 people were recorded staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs or in a hotel through an emergency hotel/motel voucher program.
The local event also allowed housing services providers and other service-based non-profits a chance to communicate directly with people in need of their services while providing resources, including backpacks, sleeping bags, coats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, food and more, to those in need who participated in the survey. The backpacks full of supplies and sleeping bags were generously provided by Community Action Council. The Chelan-Douglas Health District also was on site to administer flu shots and COVID vaccines to anyone interested and to provide other resources, including blankets.
Additional Data Collected from PIT Count:
Not all 163 survey participants answered every question outreach teams asked. Of those who answered the questions about where they are from:
17 people said their last known permanent home was from out of state.
14 people said their last known permanent home was from out of the two-county area (but from other locations in Washington).
Of the survey participants who answered the demographic questions around disability, age, gender identity and race:
83 survey respondents identified as having a disability (this was a general, open-ended question, meaning they could have any kind of disability).
Of those 83 respondents, 42 identified as having a mental health disorder, 30 identified as having a physical disability, 17 identified as having a chronic condition that was permanently disabling, and four identified as having a developmental disability. (Note that people could select more than one option to describe themselves.)
24 people of the 163 people surveyed reported they chronically use alcohol, narcotics and other substances.
Gender Identity: 124 people identified as men, 35 people identified as women and one person identified as transgender (160 people responded to this question).
Race: 135 people identified as White, two people identified as Black, two people identified as Asian, four people identified as American Indian / Alaska Native, one person identified as Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander (144 people responded to this question).
Ethnicity: 115 people identified as non-Hispanic; 34 people identified as Hispanic (149 people responded to this question).
Veteran Status: 17 people identified as veterans (130 people responded to this question)
Fleeing Domestic Violence: Seven survey respondents stated they were fleeing domestic violence (125 people responded to this question).
Of the survey participants who answered questions about where they live, length of time without permanent housing and access to shelters:
123 people are considered unsheltered
70 people live out of doors (street, tent, abandoned building, park, etc.)
36 people live in a vehicle
17 people live in an RV
275 people stayed in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs
121 people are considered chronically homeless; they have been without permanent housing for a year or more (152 people responded to this question).
71 people stated they’d be willing to stay at a shelter if there was room; 44 said they would not; 31 said maybe (146 people responded to this question).
61 people stated that as long as they’ve been in the Wenatchee area they have not had permanent housing; 41 people stated prior to being in their current situation they had permanent housing, 29 people stated they were staying with family or friends (144 people responded to this question).
Last Updated: 04/15/2022 10:57 AM