Homeless count helps raise awareness of issues

Local volunteers participating in the Governor's Committee to End Homelessness unsheltered point in time count gathered at the Crawford House Wednesday evening to receive instructions, acquire survey forms, pose questions, choose canvass areas and learn safety measures to employ while conducting the count from Officer Mark Burger of the Nevada Police Department. -Rusty Murry/Daily Mail

Volunteers for the Governor's Committee to End Homelessness gathered at the Crawford House on Wednesday, July 29, to conduct a summer count of the homeless in Vernon County as part of the Missouri Balance of State Continuum of Care Unsheltered Point in Time count. This committee began on a state level in 1988, but this was only the fifth count to take place in Vernon County. The count is conducted twice each year.

The volunteer coordinator for Vernon County, Carol Branham, along with about a 18 volunteers from the West Central Community Action Agency, Vernon County Youth Task Force, Nevada Police Department, other local organizations and civic minded individuals met to discuss the need for the count, methodology used, search quadrant divisions and assignments and safety issues relating to an endeavor of this nature.

Though there were volunteers scattered throughout the county, this group's focus was on getting as accurate a count as possible of the number of homeless within the city of Nevada. Using a standardized Unsheltered Point in Time Count form, which is confidential and designed to determine why people are homeless at this point in time, the survey is intended as a means of gathering data that will be used to ascertain housing and other social program needs of the community.

Many of those present had participated in the count before. Branham went over some of the basics for newcomers saying many people have the wrong perception of homeless. She told the group, "homeless in rural Missouri looks much different than homeless in downtown Chicago." Brief directions for filling out the form were given. Some emphasis was placed on a phenomenon called "couch surfing," where someone, usually a teenager, just shifts from place to place with friends or relatives as conditions or finances warrant.

This is especially prevalent among high school aged youth, according to Branham. The current trend of two or more families sharing a household was also discussed. Participants in the count were urged to be as courteous as possible and respect the privacy of anyone who did not want to speak with them.

A short address regarding safety by Officer Mark Burger of the Nevada Police Department concentrated on volunteers being aware of surroundings and not working alone. He also stressed the need to respect a potential respondents personal space. He used the example of approaching someone under a bridge. "Act as though you are entering their home," was an easily understood analogy. Burger stressed caution and common sense.

Even though the total numbers of homeless in the county won't be known for some time, the count produced "good results," according to Branham. Three dozen surveys had already been turned in by Friday and Branham expected more. She stated that there are any number of reasons why people become homeless, but that much of the time it stems from a loss of job or a "lack of income and the resultant inability to sustain rent and utilities."

Branham went on to say that "no population or socio-economic group is immune," but there is a call to meet the needs of veterans, the elderly and children in this and other communities. "It's a common concern," she said. Aside from the statistics which are used as a means to "show a need for funding for all social programs," the count is a tool for providing "education and awareness" to the community.