Annual Stanislaus count finds record number of homeless people in county and cities
Stanislaus County reported this year’s annual homeless count turned up 2,107 people, which is the most that has ever been tallied since homeless service providers started conducting these surveys in 2005.
This year’s count topped last year’s record of 1,923 homeless people in the county and its cities. The previous high had been 1,800 in 2009 during the Great Recession.
The counts are conducted in late January in communities throughout the United States and are a requirement for seeking homeless funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
It’s not clear whether this year’s record represents a growth in homelessness, a better organized and effective count, or other factors. Stanislaus County issued a news release Monday about the latest count. But the analysis of the count had not yet been completed, and county officials were not available for comment.
Organizers restructured the count after 2018’s disappointing count turned up 1,356 homeless people. That count resulted in complaints among those who work with homeless people that it grossly under-reported the homeless in their community.
Majority of homeless in Modesto, Turlock
This year’s count will be discussed at Wednesday’s Stanislaus Homeless Alliance meeting
The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and will be held by video conference. Information on how to attend is available at https://csocstan.com. Once you are at the website, hover over the Stanislaus Homeless Alliance tab and click on the agenda link.
Stanislaus County plays a big role in these annual counts, which are conducted by volunteers on behalf of the Stanislaus Community System of Care, which consists of local governments, homeless service providers, nonprofits and others.
The news release reported that the majority of the homeless counted this year were in Modesto and Turlock. The release also reported that 80 percent of the homeless people said they had been living in Stanislaus County or one of its cities when they became homeless.
The count includes homeless people in emergency shelters and transitional housing as well as those living in their cars or sleeping in parks, in alleys behind businesses or along riverbanks.
Counts not definitive but raise awareness
HUD calls these annual tallies point in time counts. They should not be considered definitive, and the results vary based on such factors as how well the counts are organized, how many communities they include, and the number of volunteers. Whether law enforcement clears homeless encampments before the count also affects the results.
There is a more definitive tally produced through what is called the homeless management information system, which is another HUD requirement. The system tracks homeless people who receive help on an annual basis, such as staying in emergency shelters or being placed in transitional or permanent supportive housing.
For instance, a recent local HMIS report showed 5,892 people received services throughout Stanislaus County from Oct. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2018. But the point in time counts raise public awareness about homelessness and are required to receive HUD funding. And other funding can be based on the point in time results.
Stanislaus County reported that 310 volunteers took part in January’s count. That appears to be a record. Volunteers ask homeless people survey questions, which helps service providers focus their help on the needs of the homeless people in their communities.
The news release said 380 homeless people reported having a serious mental illness, and 397 reported having a substance abuse disorder. There were 110 veterans and 207 households with children. The reasons for becoming homeless included fleeing abuse or violence, no longer being able to pay the rent and losing a job.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 4:27 PM.
