San Bernardino County has conducted the first Point-In-Time Count of the county’s homeless population in two years. The results will help determine how much assistance the county receives from the federal government to address homelessness.
This year’s count took place on Feb. 24. The annual count was suspended in 2021 to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. To make this year’s return of the Point-in-Time Count (PITC) as safe as possible, the County Office of Homeless Services (OHS) provided 2,500 hygiene kits containing items such as socks, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant to participating cities for distribution to the unsheltered homeless who were counted and surveyed this morning. OHS also provided more than 500 KN95 masks and vests to the cities and agencies participating in this year’s PITC.
Since the 2019 PITC, the County’s award-winning National Association of Counties (NACo) mobile application survey leveraging Esri’s Arc GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology has been used by volunteers throughout the county visiting riverbeds, underpasses, and anywhere else the homeless might be found to count them, ask them a series of questions to help the county determine how best to address the issue of homelessness, and assist those in immediate need of help.
“Homeless individuals in our community can count on the County for assistance,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “The Point-In-Time Count helps the County to better understand the circumstances faced by those who are unhoused and ensure that we have the resources necessary to meet the needs of the homeless in our community. Reaching out in a direct way and personal way improves the quality of life for homeless individuals and provides dignity in difficult circumstances.”
The results of today’s count will be released in the coming months.
“We woke up bright and early to continue our fight against homelessness in our community by conducting a Point-In-Time Count,” said Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. “We traveled with volunteers, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s H.O.P.E team and Social Work Action Group (SWAG) to physically count homeless in our community. We are all equally invested in assisting in this crisis, and the only way we can make change, is if we work together.”
“What we saw was heartbreaking yet eye-opening,” Baca said. “We have all been aware of how detrimental the homelessness crisis has been in our county, our state, and our country. Homelessness affects everyone in our community, and the quality of life for all those around us. It’s not a problem just for those experiencing homelessness, it’s a problem that wounds our entire soul. No one should have to struggle the way we saw individuals struggle today. We must keep up this fight for those that can’t fight for themselves.”
“I’d like to thank all of the volunteers and county employees who were out working at the break of dawn gathering information about our homeless residents,” Second District Supervisor Janice Rutherford said. “The information they gathered is critical to our coordinated efforts to help homeless families and individuals get off the streets.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires local governments to conduct biennial counts of their homeless populations. However, San Bernardino County conducts an annual count in alignment with best practices recommended by HUD. The federal government uses the information to determine how much funding to provide counties to help with addressing the needs of the homeless.
The most recent San Bernardino County PITC in 2020 found that 72.6% of the county’s homeless were counted within eight of the county’s 24 cities – Barstow, Colton, Fontana, Ontario, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Victorville. Seniors represented the largest increase of a distinct target population.
In June, the County assigned an executive-level position to focus full-time on strategic and continuous efforts addressing homelessness in communities across the county. The move was intended to place a concerted focus on the Homeless Strategic Plan and align the homeless population’s health and housing needs to the services provided by the county and its partners.
The effort includes the County Community Development and Housing Department and the County Office of Homeless Services in partnership with several other County departments and offices that have a role in addressing homelessness. The emphasis is on moving quickly and taking advantage of key services while implementing new solutions.
“In partnership with several community organizations and county departments – including the Sheriff, Behavioral Health, Aging and Adult Services, Public Health, and Probation – we intend to build on the successes achieved by the pandemic-inspired Project Roomkey and Project Homekey and make serious progress toward addressing homelessness throughout San Bernardino County,” said County Deputy Executive Officer Supriya Barrows, who leads the Community Revitalization effort.
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