Watch: Counting Helps Care for the Homeless
Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — Volunteers, out and about counting and surveying Richland County’s homeless in shelters and on the streets.
“There are a group of folks out on the street who aren’t in the shelters they’re not getting and those are the people that we ran into last night,” says Craig Currey.
The point-in-time count happens annually nationwide, providing a snap shot of the homeless population in a given area on a specific night.
Mac Bennett, CEO of United Way of the Midlands explains,”We want to know if the person has any mental illness any substance abuse any medical issues where their last home was.”
Numbers from the count aid in determining how much federal funding the Department of Housing and Urban Development will allocate to fight homelessness in the county.
Currey tells ABC Columbia, “It’s a tough challenge none of this is easy and that’s why it takes a group of agencies really to come alongside people and try to help them.”
Last year’s count reported more than 5,300 homeless in South Carolina, a 6 percent increase from the previous year.
The United Way of the Midlands, who coordinates the count each year, says those numbers are important to know.
According to Bennett,”This helps us understand the population and what their need are so we can offer better services.”
Volunteers began surveying on Wednesday January 27th and will continue through Sunday January 31.
