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Annual Pasco Homeless Census Coming

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: January 26, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Several agencies will work together this Wednesday to try to get a snapshot of the Pasco County homeless population.

The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, in cooperation with Pasco County community development division, St. Leo University, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pasco Sheriff's Office and the Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey police departments will team up for this annual census.

They want to get the word out about the census in order to get volunteers to help and to encourage homeless people to participate. Funding to help combat homelessness in Pasco County is at stake.

"Nationally, there is a homeless count," said Eugene Williams, event supervisor for the county community development division. Counties across the country do counts this time every year. In Pasco County, it is done on Jan. 30.

The intent is not to create a roll of the homeless and the last names of the people being counted will not be requested, said Williams.

Instead, the purpose of the census is merely getting a total of Pasco homeless people and statistical information that will help provide a more detailed description of the people represented by these figures.

The people conducting the homeless count will try to determine the number of the newly homeless versus chronically homeless people, the number of homeless families with children, where they came from geographically and how they came to be homeless.

The statistics can then be used to apply for grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist in programs and facilities for the homeless, according to Williams. These include affordable housing, temporary shelters and transitional housing programs.

If previous patterns continue, the census will likely turn up some bleak figures, Williams said. The total number of homeless in Pasco County has increased every year this decade, he said.

The demographics of the Pasco homeless population have changed of late, Williams said. "The number of chronically homeless has probably actually gone down," he said.

During the past year, however, an increasing number of families with children have no shelter. Williams attributes the phenomenon to the home mortgage crisis.

"A lot of people are moving in with family members, living in cars," he said.

The Pasco County School District does a count of its own each year, Williams noted. According to this year's count, there are about 1,200 children enrolled in Pasco schools who do not have homes of their own.

A 2006 Florida Council on Homelessness report stated there were 3,677 homeless people in the county, 40 percent of whom were members of homeless families, and 37 percent were in homeless situations for the first time. Children under the age of 18 constituted 23 percent of the homeless population.

Pasco County now has two emergency shelters near Hudson, one family shelter, also near Hudson, and two domestic violence shelters.

"That's really all we have," Williams said.

The homeless census will be conducted in two ways. First, at 5 a.m. and noon, coalition volunteers will be stationed at four locations in West Pasco that are prime pick-up points for day laborers.

• 13132 U.S. 19, Hudson.

• 7508 U.S. 19, New Port Richey.

• 6705 U.S. 19, New Port Richey.

• 3762 U.S. 19, Holiday.

There will also be stations at two locations in Dade City.

The volunteers will ask for census information from the homeless who show up at these locations. They will also distribute packages of personal care items and blankets to participants.

Then, law enforcement agencies and volunteers will visit the homeless encampments in the area to gather more information and hand out more kits.

"We have quite a few of those encampments," Williams said.

Often situated in wooded areas near retail centers, these makeshift enclaves are where many homeless people set up what little "home" they have.

"Some of them are very elaborate," Williams said. "It's intriguing how ingenious people can be when they are trying to survive."

With a big job to do and little time to do it, volunteers are needed to help with the count. Those interested should call 727-842-8605.

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