2.16.05

Bi-Annual Count on Homeless Population

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Contact: Mayor’s Press Office

415-554-6131

**PRESS RELEASE**

SAN FRANCISCO CONDUCTS BI-ANNUAL COUNT OF HOMELESS POPULATION

New methodology based on best practices and established standards will ensure more accurate census; City receives $16.8 million in HUD grants to provide services to homeless

San Francisco, CA – Over 250 volunteers, including city employees, homeless services providers and regular citizens, conducted the bi-annual count of the city’s homeless population this evening. The count is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for all recipients of federal homeless funding. This year, HUD requested that the bi-annual head count be done during the last week of January.

This year’s effort differs from past years based on the extensive pre-testing conducted to ensure a more accurate count, said Trent Rhorer, Director of the Department of Human Services. “We have spent the last several months gathering data from CBOs, the police department, street outreach teams as well as our own canvasses, to identify where the highest concentrations of homeless are,” said Rhorer. “That way,” he continued, “we can get a more accurate count and better allocate our resources in the future.”

Teams of volunteers are assigned to routes of 6-30 blocks each, covered on foot or by car. The routes are carefully mapped to cover areas of the City known to be frequented by unsheltered homeless persons, including South of Market, Bayview, Mission, the waterfront and other neighborhoods with known homeless populations. Counts will be documented on tally forms provided for volunteers. Beyond meeting the HUD mandate, the results of the count will help inform decisions regarding future outreach efforts to the chronically homeless. 

In addition to providing a head count of the homeless, the volunteers will map their location and, if possible, their age, gender and ethnicity. Simultaneous to the street count, the city will be conducting a survey of individuals in shelters and transitional housing.

The last count conducted in October 2002 found 8,640 homeless.

Today, the City also announced receipt of HUD’s nationally competitive McKinney-Vento Targeted Homeless Assistance grant. This year’s award of $16,817,982 represents an increase of almost $1 million over last year’s amount, money that will be used to create new supportive housing units for the city’s chronically homeless. 

In total the $16,817,982 will go towards funding 50 renewal projects and one new rental assistance project located at the Folsom/Dore Apartments that will provide 20 units of permanent housing to chronically homeless households living with mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and/or HIV/AIDS.                                                     

# # #