LIHUE — The county is seeking volunteers to assist with an annual count of the area’s homeless population in January.
LIHUE — The county is seeking volunteers to assist with an annual count of the area’s homeless population in January.
The Kauai County Housing Agency and the Kauai Community Alliance are conducting a “Point-In-Time Count” from Jan. 23 to 28, to assess the number of “sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons” on a given night.
The count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to access homeless-related funding.
“Volunteers will discover their own power to make a difference, and work with agencies serving the homeless population,” said Housing Director Kanani Fu. “The annual Point-In-Time Count provides critical data and information that will be used to enhance homeless services and to prioritize homeless related initiatives.”
The Point-In-Time Count has shown a steady decrease in the homeless population on Kauai and across the state for the last two years.
Kauai led all counties in reducing the number of “unsheltered” homeless people last year, dropping 37 percent between 2017 and 2018 — from 412 to 293 — according to a 2018 report compiled by Partners in Care, the Oahu organization responsible for organizing the annual survey.
To volunteer for the Point-In-Time Count, you must be 18 years of age or older to participate and be able to attend a mandatory training session on Wednesday.
Volunteers who wish to participate can register by contacting Sharon Graham with County of Kauai Housing Agency at 241-4427 or via email at sgraham@kauai.gov, or Sally Chidester with Kauai Economic Opportunity at 245-4077, ext. 228, or via email at schidester@keoinc.org.
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Caleb Loehrer, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0441 or cloehrer@thegardenisland.com.
