Hundreds of County employees joined the ranks of volunteers who hit the San Diego region’s streets early Friday to take part in the Point-In-Time count of homeless people.
The annual snapshot in time is part of the “WeALLCount” campaign by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. The final count is used to apply for federal funding and it also helps County staff identify the scope of the problem and work on solutions to best serve this at-risk population.
Last year, the region’s combined total came to 8,879 men, women and children, the third highest number in the nation. They included veterans, families, substance abusers, those living with HIV/AIDS, the chronically homeless and victims of domestic violence.
Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts initiated the County’s volunteer effort Dec. 3 by asking their fellow supervisors to allow employees to participate on paid County time and the Board agreed. More than 400 employees signed on for the 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. stint.
“The spirit of volunteerism among our County employees is very strong,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts. “We knew all we had to do was ask for help. They responded by the hundreds.”
Supervisor Cox was among those who took part in the count Friday morning.
“It was an eye-opening experience. We talked with several homeless individuals, including a veteran and a pregnant woman. The experience was humbling and helped me gain a better understanding of the gaps in services and the many challenges facing these individuals,” said Supervisor Cox. “I want to thank the hundreds of County employees who answered the call to volunteer for this critical event. Together, our efforts will make a difference.”
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The County applies for homeless funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on behalf of the Regional Continuum of Care, a joint collaborative effort between the County and the City of San Diego. In 2013, HUD awarded more than $15 million to pay for local services to the homeless.
While the 2013 homeless count showed San Diego County had the third highest homeless population in the nation, it ranked 18th when it came to federal funding eligibility to help the homeless. A HUD report showed San Diego County fell behind only New York and Los Angeles in the number of homeless people.
Both the City and County of San Diego are lobbying HUD to update their funding guidelines so the region will get federal funding in keeping with the size of the local homeless population.
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