Are there homeless people in Cook County? Yes, today and in the recent past, Cook County has had people living out of their vehicles, in tents, or other types of substandard housing. But hopefully, something can be done to alleviate that dilemma.
Recently a homeless woman was found sleeping in her car in various locations around town. She slept in her car behind the News-Herald building a couple of nights, leaving when I would get to work. But as it got progressively colder, and as she had started sleeping in her vehicle in the Rec Park, authorities were called, and she received help. She is no longer in the area and hopefully she has a place to live that is warm and comfortable.
Some homeless people don’t want help. A case featured in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune a decade or so ago in the Twin Cities depicted the brother of a famous professional sports coach. At one time the sports coach had purchased a home for his brother— who is mentally ill and lives on the streets—only to find that his brother didn’t want to live in a house. Storeowners would give his brother keys so he could get out of the cold and sleep at night. It was a rough way to live, but it was his choice, and no one could do anything about it.
Still, most people who lose their homes don’t want to live that way.
Nationally, in 2016, over half a million people were living on the streets, in homeless shelters, in cars or some form of sub-standardized housing. Of that number, one-quarter were children. Included in the count were 47,725 veterans. But the 2016 government issued report stated that 1.4 million veterans were at risk of homelessness due to poverty, overcrowding in in government housing, or war-related disabilities including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), brain injuries and addictions to drugs and alcohol. Also noted were 110,000 LGBTQ homeless youth who were found twice as likely to commit suicide compared to homeless heterosexual youth. They were found to be the most fragile of all of the homeless. The report was just numbers, but some solutions to combat this national problem are being found, which leads to this.
On Thursday night, January 26th, a statewide survey will be conducted to provide a “snapshot” of homelessness throughout Minnesota and the country. Locally Anita Jeziah, an Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) case manager will work with a couple of volunteers to search for anyone homeless in the county.
“If you know of someone, send that person or family or their information my way. The survey can be conducted in person, or we can also collect data based on observation, so your help is critical,” she told the county board on January 10.
Jeziah will use what is called “Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Notes.”
Each state is required by the federal government to count people experiencing homelessness on one night of the year over the last 10 days in January.
Included in the PIT Count are those who live in unsheltered situations (those who are living outside, on the streets, in abandoned buildings, etc.). Also included are people who are temporarily sheltered, including those who are living in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or put up in motels through a social service program. What is not included are people staying with friends or relatives that are “couch surfing.”
Data collected through the PIT is used as one of the primary tools to measure progress on Minnesota’s State’s Heading Home Plan to Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.
Results for the PIT Count will be used to achieve four primary goals both nationally and statewide. The first is to prevent future veteran homelessness. Second is to end chronic homelessness. Third is to prevent and end homelessness among youth unaccompanied by parents or guardians in 2020. Last, the goal is to end homelessness among families with children in 2020.
As Anita told the county board, two years ago she was out doing the PIT Count, and she found a man living in his vehicle. She connected him with the right resources and today he is residing in a home.
While the PIT Count provides us with the number of those experiencing homelessness on a given night in our state, it is not just about counting people.
It is also about making sure the right amount of resources are provided to connect people to the services they need. And, on the night of the Count, it may mean connecting people you come in contact with to services they need that night, just as Jeziah did.
Editor’s note: If you know of someone who is homeless and needs help, contact Anita Jeziah at (218) 387-4547 or send her an email <anita.jeziah@aeoa.org>
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