Hundreds of city and county workers and volunteers fanned out across Maricopa County on Tuesday morning to survey unsheltered people for the annual Point-In-Time count.
These Point-In-Time counts are required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are a key source of data on housing and homelessness trends nationally. Most cities nationwide participate every January in order to be eligible for federal funding to address homelessness.
The annual surveys have shown the homeless population in Maricopa County grew more than 40% over the last five years. Though, last year’s count showed growth among the population staying in homeless shelters and a slight decrease in the number of unsheltered people on the streets.
“For the first time in several years we saw more people in shelter than not in shelter, which is a big deal,” Brian Gruters, regional homelessness program manager for the Maricopa Association of Governments, told KJZZ News earlier this month. “The fact that that happened I think speaks to the city of Phoenix’s efforts and other communities in the region to put shelter into place when it was really needed.”
But challenges remain, Gruters said. And he expects this year’s Point-In-Time count will show Maricopa County’s overall population of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people is continuing to climb. Other data from the Maricopa Association of Governments shows people are becoming homeless at nearly twice the rate homeless people are finding housing in the Phoenix area. And homelessness is increasing nationwide.
“Nationally, we’ve seen this trend continue. The problem’s getting worse not better, so I think we’re bracing for more of the same, which is trending upwards,” Gruters said.
The results of this year’s count will be released in spring.
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