The Nevada County Continuum of Care (NCCC) in coordination with the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras (HRCS), a collaborative group of agencies and nonprofit organizations from Placer and Nevada counties, has announced that Nevada and Placer County’s annual point-in-time count of homeless individuals and families will take place January 24, 2019.
Point-in-time (PIT) counts are required for federal funding for homelessness and for supportive services that work to keep people with mental illness housed. For years, PIT counts have been a factor in receiving federal funding but recent moves by the State have pegged increased state funding to address homelessness and housing to these counts adding new urgency to ensuring that everyone who experiencing homelessness in Nevada County is counted.
California prioritized homelessness and housing in 2017 and Governor-elect Newsom’s latest proposed budget continues that trend. “To be competitive for funding, it all starts with the PIT Count,” says Brendan Phillips, Housing Resource Manager with Nevada County Health and Human Services “The state funding is not just about services for people experiencing homelessness, it’s about funding for housing that can meet the needs of our community, weather you are homeless or struggling to stay housed.” Mike Dent, Nevada County Director of Housing and Community Housing Development pointed to an increase in community interest and participation in the monthly NCCC meetings as a sign that, “people are getting interested from all sectors: The Hospital, Law Enforcement, youth services – everyone is coming together. It’s a real positive thing.”
This year, a number of Nevada County organizations will host events where volunteers will conduct brief surveys with homeless residents of Nevada County. The events will provide a hot meal; County services such as CalFRESH, CalWORKS and Public Health; and will offer donated clothing, supplies, and gift cards at the following times and locations:
- Interfaith Food Ministry, 440 Henderson Ave. Grass Valley, CA: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00
- North San Juan Community Center, 29190 State Hwy 49, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00
- Food and Resource Support Center, 10111 E. Street, Truckee CA: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00
While the main events offer services and others perks for participation, community partners from across the county will also open their doors during the day to conduct surveys and offer gift cards and to continue counting up to 10-days after the 24th, per federal rules. In Western County, these locations include Hospitality House, SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center, the Family Resource Centers, and Madelyn Helling and Grass Valley Library.
Point-in-time counts are not a comprehensive measure of an area’s homeless population, but rather snapshots from a single day that can be used to approximate broad trends. Typically, they are viewed as undercounts for a community’s yearly overall homeless population because many people may move in and out of homelessness throughout the year.
