A point in time (PIT) count of the number of homeless residents in Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa and Seneca counties will be conducted on January 26.

 

            This count is done annually by organizations who received funding to serve the homeless. It is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD requires regularly occurring counts of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons for communities interested in applying for McKinney-Vento funding through the Continuum of Care (CoC) application process. This year, the count is led locally by WSOS with assistance from the local Homeless Coalition members.

 

            The count in Ohio is facilitated by the Coalition of Homeless in Ohio (COHIO), and it is conducted statewide on the same day for the same time period.

 

            In 2009, the PIT count determined that there were 140 persons in families with children in the four-county area who had no shelter on the day the count was done, January 29.

 

            The count also counts the groups referred to as sub-populations of the homeless. This group includes those who are severely mentally ill, veterans, persons with HIV/AIDS, unaccompanied youth and the chronically homeless.

 

            WSOS administers grants that aid individuals and families who find themselves homeless. However, the number of people who request assistance annually far out weigh the funding WSOS receives.

 

            For information on the homeless prevention programs operated by WSOS, call Ragan Claypool or Ann Hanko at 419-334-8911, visit our website www.wsos.org or e-mail us at info@wsos.org