CLEARLAKE >> Early review of last month’s Point In Time (PIT Count surveys indicate that there are more than 450 homeless individuals and families living in Lake County. Over 80 of those surveyed self-reported being housed prior to the fires of 2015 and 2016.
More data will be released once a thorough review is completed.
Lake County’s Continuum of Care for the Homeless (CoC) successfully completed its PIT Count on January 24. The results of the PIT survey will establish a count of homeless families and individuals that is necessary for Lake County to be eligible for federal funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other agencies.
Pacific Union College students will analyze the data from the surveys to provide Lake County with more information about those experiencing homelessness in the community.
PIT Count survey sites were set up in central areas in multiple communities with additional mobile teams canvassing the county. Under big tents, volunteers offered flu shots, HIV/Hepatitis C testing, dog food and supplies, sandwiches and water/coffee. Each person who completed a confidential survey was given a bag of snacks, hygiene supplies and other items.
Veterinarian Debi Sally provided additional care to pets at the Clearlake site.
Christy Mantz, an instructor in the Department of Psychology and Social Work at Pacific Union College in Napa County, brought a group of students to assist with the count.
“The combination of services and survey is helpful in the moment and in the long-term for the homeless in Lake County,” she said.
Over 100 volunteers assisted with the PIT Count,
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all homeless continuums to conduct a point-in-time count of homeless individuals/families during a single night in January. These counts provide an overview of the state of homelessness in the region and offer the information needed to direct services, funding and resources provided by the CoC.
“A successful PIT Count is a collaborative team effort,” said Marylin Wakefield, Grants Coordinator at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and PIT Committee Chair. “Our volunteer team and generous donors truly covered each corner of the county so we have the information needed to access funding for homeless services.”
Teams involved in the county came from the Lake County Department of Public Health, Community Care HIV/AIDS Program, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Pacific Union College, Lake County Department of Social Services, North Coast Opportunities, AmeriCorps, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, North Coast Opportunities, Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake, Lake Family Resource Center and the Veterans Administration in addition to community volunteers.
Each survey site had a specific leader organizing the PIT Count: Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth (Middletown), Jolene Chappel and Victoria Kelly (Lower Lake), Christy Mantz and Chris Taliaferro (Clearlake), Theresa Showen (Cobb), Mike Stajura (Kelseyville), Kim Guerra (Lakeport), Traci Boyl (Upper Lake/Nice), Pastor Paul Smith (Lucerne) and Debi Fielder (Hidden Valley Lake).
Donors to the PIT Count made a robust survey and homeless services at each site possible. Lake County Animal Control, Walmart, Richard Yee, Lake Event & Design, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Community Care, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Pacific Union College, Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation, McDonald’s, Redbud Health Care District, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, North Coast Opportunities, Hidden Valley Oaks United Methodist Church, Middletown Community United Methodist Church and the Lake County Department of Public Health all contributed to the count.
For more information about the PIT Count, CoC efforts and plans to meet the needs of the homeless in Lake County can be found at www.lakecoc529.org.
