This is the first in an occasional series providing answers to commonly asked questions about the homeless.
Homeless people in San Diego are sober, sane, addicted, mentally unstable, veterans, young, old and of many different races.
The Regional Task Force on the Homeless conducts a count of homeless people each January as one of the requirements for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This past year’s count showed 8,669 homeless people in San Diego County, a slight drop from the 8,742 people counted last year.
Of those, 3,729 people were in shelters and 4,940 were unsheltered.
The data isn’t just a headcount. In an effort to get a better understanding of the homeless population, communities that participate in the nationwide point-in-time count have surveyed people in the count over the past several years.
Dolores Diaz, executive director of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, said HUD requires agencies that receive money to address homelessness to collect demographic data.
“It helps us to craft and target programs that address the needs of the homeless person,” she said about how the data is used. “The more we know about the homeless population, the more we can appropriately craft solutions. And it helps us track our progress.”
To read more of Gary Warth's article, please click here.
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