Homeless count set in Merced County

Later this month, volunteers and advocates will comb the streets of Merced County to try to accurately count the number of homeless people in the area, a measurement used to help determine the amount of related funding needed.

The annual count is planned from 6 to 9 a.m. Jan. 22, with an orientation for volunteers planned the night before and a survey of the homeless the day following the tally.

The number of men, women and children living on the street is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which uses the information to weigh how much federal funding is needed for the homeless in the county. The surveys ask those living on the street if they are veterans, have mental health issues and live with HIV or AIDS, among other questions.

Merced County contracts with the nonprofit Urban Initiatives to run the Continuum of Care, which brings together several nonprofits and other groups that work to provide housing and other services to those on the street.

Renee Davenport, a chairwoman for the tally, said the annual estimate plays a role in providing services for people on the street countywide. “It’s a huge deal to bring money into Merced County,” she said.

Advocates have asked city, county and state officials to hold off on breaking up homeless camps at least until the end of the month. The state Department of Transportation confirmed in December that the camp on state land near the Bradley Overhead on State Route 140 will be cleared, but when that will happen remains unclear.

Earlier this year, city workers cleared out another encampment in town along Bear Creek. Just before Thanksgiving, about 10 workers cleared trash and any belongings left behind by those living on one bank of the creek.

“(People) complain about all the homeless, but by scattering people you’re also taking away the chance of getting funding for the homeless,” Davenport said.

According to the last count, there are 768 homeless people in Merced County, including 21 children. The number shows the vast majority of those people, 609 or about 79 percent, are living on the streets. The rest were counted in shelters and transitional housing programs.

HUD uses numbers nationally to determine funding for homeless services. About $600,000 for related services came into the county last year, according to Joe Colletti, executive director of Urban Initiatives.

He said the funding helps Continuum of Care get people off of the street. For example, he said, there was a 33 percent reduction nationally in homeless veterans reported in 2014 compared with the previous year.

Merced County counted 45 homeless veterans during last year’s survey. The county has also recently received several vouchers from HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.

“We saw this significant decrease in homeless veterans across the country,” he said. “So we’ll see now if that’s the case in Merced.”

This story was originally published January 1, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Homeless count set in Merced County."