Count reveals street homeless doubled in Victoria from last year
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BEHIND THE NUMBERS
The 2010 Victoria Homeless Coaltion homeless count report contains revealing details about the area's homeless. This includes:
54 percent of adults reported mental illness.
51 percent of adults were chronically homeless, or living on the street for ...
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BEHIND THE NUMBERS
The 2010 Victoria Homeless Coaltion homeless count report contains revealing details about the area's homeless. This includes:
54 percent of adults reported mental illness.
51 percent of adults were chronically homeless, or living on the street for one year continuously or for episodes of homelessness in a three-year period.
50 percent are children younger than 18.
35 percent of adults reported substance abuse problems.
26 percent of adults reported physical disabilities and other chronic conditions.
The number of homeless living in the Crossroads doubled since last year.
Ninety-seven people were identified as living without shelter, up from 38 a year ago, according to the most recent count by the Victoria Homeless Coalition.
Forty-four street homeless were identified in Victoria, 43 in Calhoun County and 10 in Gonzales County. Last year, 16 street homeless were counted in Calhoun County.
Street homeless are sleeping in cars, abandoned buildings, parks, culverts and in make-shift campsites, according to survey responses.
"This is a new trend for the Victoria area, and one that we need to watch very carefully. Half of the street homeless total are in rural areas," said Ginny Stafford, chief executive officer of Mid-Coast Family Services and who serves on the coalition board. "Street homeless are particularly hard to serve, often suspicious of our efforts to help."
Jim Welvaert, coalition president, said the count numbers are of great concern.
"We don't have a place for them to go," said Welvaert, who is also the homeless program director for Mid-Coast Family Services. "It's obvious that the economy is having an effect. It's a major concern. Where are these people supposed to go? It's apparent to me that we are just now feeling the fallout from what has happened across the nation. I think we are catching some of the overflow from bigger cities."
Welvaert said this year's count was more complete, better organized and more accurate than in years past.
"We had a better handle on where people were," Welvaert said. "The Victoria Police Department was very helpful in helping us locate where people were staying."
On Tuesday, the coalition released its report of the recently completed homeless count, which was completed late last month. The report shows 276 total homeless in Victoria, Calhoun and Gonzales counties. Counts in DeWitt and Goliad counties reported no homeless.
At the time of the count late last month, 130 people lived in an emergency shelter, 23 in transitional housing and 26 in permanent supportive housing, according to the report. All these were in Victoria County.
Welvaert said it is important the public realize the homeless need help. Fifty-four percent of homeless adults report mental illness, he said.
"The No. 1 thing is awareness," he said. "Don't just automatically judge everyone out there as too lazy to go to work. That's an important thing that people need to know."
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Jeff Williams said :"To successfully address the homeless situation will require a cooperative effort of government, social agencies, the faith community and concerned individuals like Kenneth and others"
Well said and completely agree. Here is a tip that I employ to do a little (and I do mean little) good at a moment's notice. When approached by someone asking for "a few dollars", whether it be at a gas station or a parking lot, I always keep a $5 or $10 HEB or Mcdonalds or Subway gift card handy. Instead of giving cash, you give them a gift card.
February 11, 2010 at 8:54 a.m.Accompany this gift with a card from your church or a social organization such as V-Cam and you can help a little.
Many good points on here. Several issues to try and clarify. Permanent supportive housing is housing that has no fixed exit date but does have criteria that must be met to continue in the progam. This type of housing provides not only shelter but training and other assistance to help the people overcome the issues that contribute to being homeless; addiction, domestic abuse, job loss and the list goes on and on.
There was a statement made about homelessness being a choice. This is a broad statement that does not apply to a majority of the homeless which are comprised of families. Recent example, the apartments that the water was cut off. Without the assistance of Mid Coast and many, many other local organizations a large number of these families would have ended up homeless. There was not one family in that complex that choose to be homeless but circumstances caused them to loose their housing. National statistics show an overwhelming number of families in the US are two paychecks away from being homeless.
Latest statistics show in Victoria approx. 18% of the population live at or below the poverty level. Almost half of that number live at or below 50% of the poverty level. 25% of children under the age of 18 in Victoria are in families that live at or below the poverty level. Over 500 children enrolled in VISD are deemed homeless by state and federal education standards. The ones at the greatest risk are the ones that cannot overcome the problem on their own, the children.
To successfully address the homeless situation will require a cooperative effort of government, social agencies, the faith community and concerned individuals like Kenneth and others.
To say government should not be involved in the homeless situation would be equal to saying the government should not be involved with helping in Haiti or any other place of natural disaster. A great number of homeless in the US have no more control over their current situation then the millions in Haiti who lost their homes due to the earthquake.
February 10, 2010 at 9:48 p.m.Victorian - I have MANY ideas, but I am sure those ideas will only bring many arguments that unfortunately I have no time to debate upon...I suppose I feel at this point it would just be a waste of my time for even trying...It never ends well when people start to throw out their ideas on here. So, with that said. I appreciate your comments and opinions. Have a good evening.
February 10, 2010 at 8:19 p.m.What is permanent supportive housing?
jhnsn, what do you think the City should do? What do you expect the taxpayers, who actually keep government in business, do about the homeless situation? I hate to see homeless people, especially children, but short of giving them food & money, I don't know what else I can do.
New York City has gotten into housing the homeless, it is costing them a fortune & they have some problems.
In a perfect world, everyone would have a home & plenty of food. Unfortunately, it's not perfect, that's where families & charitable organizations should step in. In SA, the churches do a lot for the homeless & that is how it should be. I suggest, instead of expecting tax money be spent on the homeless, encourage your church to step up & do something.
February 10, 2010 at 7:37 p.m.Victorian...profiting obviously is a necessity...that is not what I am against. I am against how they use the money that they profit from. As well as the money they invest in to supposedly "improve" Victoria...it's just a joke with some of the things they do. AND then try to say it's for the better!
Bighorn... grow up...if all you can do is pick apart a comment then your comments are unnecessary to me...I am a grown @$$ woman and if I decide to say something else then I CAN...get over it or get lost!
And last but not least, Kenneth. If that is the case in regards to the strip malls, then I stand corrected. I too make it a point to carry things in my car that can help someone in need. It's good to know that others do the same. And, it is very sad that 50% of these people are children. I pray for each and every one of them everyday.
February 10, 2010 at 5:34 p.m.Too often homelessness is by choice. The Salvation Army will house anyone - as long as certain requirements are met, such as job searching, returning at a reasonable hour, etc. Private individuals working through social organizations or churches should truly be those that help the homeless - not solely through our local government.
February 10, 2010 at 1:27 p.m.The number on this list which should really raise eyebrows is the 50% that are children. These are the ones that should and could be in a home of some sort if their parents would seek help for them.
February 10, 2010 at 8:19 a.m.Don't forget to vote for, "Business as usual" if you like the way things are going. Homeless can vote too.
February 10, 2010 at 7:50 a.m.I thought you said you have nothing else to say, 283.
"Never argue with a fool, people might not able to tell the difference"
February 10, 2010 at 1:39 a.m.If nobody profited from anything we would all be homeless. You should be grateful for the stripmalls, they keep your property taxes down, without them, the city would only be profitting off of its homeowners.
Actually, in SA, the city has made a huge investment in a 17 acre all inclusive homeless oasis...job training, rehab, medical, dental, eye clinics, social service station, etc...still the homeless are living under bridges & other unsafe areas by their choice. There is only so much the city can & should do. I am happy to have the new "shelter", I am also paying for it through taxes, but I don't think the cities should get involved in the housing business.
February 9, 2010 at 11:42 p.m.Either way "DUDE" the city PROFITS from those strip malls...bottom line! And the longer they sit vacant the more it annoys me! What a WASTE of space!
February 9, 2010 at 10:21 p.m.J283 and Archie,
The City does not build strip malls. That is a private investors.
February 9, 2010 at 10:04 p.m.very well said!
February 9, 2010 at 8:54 p.m.This doesn't surprise me one bit...the city is too worried about building sidewalks downtown and tons of strip malls that just sit vacant...rather than try and put that money toward the things that are really important in this city. Like, the people that live in it! How much fatter do your wallets need to get before you do something that actually benefits those less fortunate. I have nothing more to say!
February 9, 2010 at 7:51 p.m.