What is the 2005 Homeless Census?
The 2005 Homeless Census is a comprehensive street-based and service-based enumeration process designed to identify how many people are homeless in Riverside County at a given point-in-time.
When will the Homeless Census take place?
The 2005 Homeless Census will be conducted on Wednesday, January 26th, 2005. Planning and organizing activities will take place throughout the months of December, 2004 and January, 2005.
Where will the Homeless Census be conducted?
The 2005 Homeless Census will be conducted on the streets and other locations where homeless individuals can be found and at service provider locations in every city, school district and unincorporated area in Riverside County.
Who will be counted in the Homeless Census?
Persons that will be counted will be those individuals and members of families that are considered homeless on the day of the count based on the definition of homelessness provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD provides the following definition of homelessness:
"A person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in one of the places described below:
a. in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings;
b. in an emergency shelter;
c. in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or emergency shelter.
Why are we doing a Homeless Census?
To obtain an unduplicated count of homeless individuals and families in Riverside County at a given point in time in order to help us better understand the nature and extent of the current trends in homelessness in our communities.
The completion of the 2005 Homeless Census combined with the results of the recently completed 2004 Homeless Survey will provide us with a battery of information that will serve as the basis for:
• responding to the unmet needs and gaps in services for homeless individuals and families in Riverside County;
• developing local community and county-wide strategies to meet the goal of ending homelessness as we know it today over the next ten years.
Who is organizing the 2005 Homeless Census?
The County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) has contracted with the Institute for Urban Research and Development (IURD), Southern California-based nonprofit community-based research organization, to organize the 2005 Homeless Census project. IURD has successful conducted numerous homeless census projects in a variety of local jurisdictions throughout Southern California.
Who should participate in the 2005 Homeless Census?
DPSS and IURD are working with County staff, city officials and the members of the Housing and Homeless Coalition for Riverside County to raise an army of volunteers adequate to ensure that the census is thoroughly conducted throughout the County.
Community Key Informants and other Volunteers are needed from every community, including representatives of local government, social service agencies, outreach programs, law enforcement, school districts, faith-based institutions, business and neighborhood associations, community service organizations, currently and formerly homeless individuals and others, who will help identify service providers and street locations where homeless people can be found in their communities and who will help recruit and serve as volunteers to help conduct the count in their communities.
How can I get involved in the 2005 Homeless Census?
You can find more information and sign-up forms for participating as a Community Key Informant and serving as a Volunteer on the day of the count in the corresponding sections on this website.
Where can I get more information on the 2005 Homeless Census?
Please explore the Census project information available on this website. We will be updating it with additional information throughout this process. For further information, please contact the members of the IURD Census Project Team listed below.
Don Smith, Project Manager, 909/596-5790, dsmith@iurd.org
Clarence Pulliam, Western County Coordinator, 909/596-2919, cpulliam@iurd.org
Jack Garrett, Eastern County Coordinator, 909/596-5144, jgarrett@iurd.org
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