The annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count has concluded for another year.
The count took place Thursday and according to local coordinator Joe Reed, the turnout from volunteers was fantastic. That said, Reed tells KVOE News that for the second year in a row, it appears mother nature may have hampered the efforts just a bit. As you may remember, the 2024 count came the same day as a large thaw of ice and snow across the community which led to some flooding throughout Emporia including in many of the homeless encampments in town.
This year, with colder temperatures and an earlier start to the day, Reed believed they may see better results, however, he says they still ran into some struggles.
Reed did say it is heartening to know that there are temporary places for unhoused individuals to seek shelter during extreme weather events, however, the reality is there needs to be more permanent housing in the community. With that in mind, Reed stressed the importance of the PIT Count saying that data will help the community go a long way in gaining the funding and assistance needed to develop said facilities.
In addition to helping provide funding for services and resources locally, the PIT count is also an educational resource for local leadership in the opinion of Emporia Homelessness Advisory Board member Raymond Rogers who was on hand assisting with the count Thursday.
The PIT Count is an annual anonymous survey of the number of unhoused residents in the community organized by the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition and mandated by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for the “Continuum of Care.”
Numbers from the local count will now be sent off to the state level. Totals are currently pending.
