City of Atlanta to Conduct Metro Atlanta Homeless Count

January 15, 2015

City calls on hundreds of volunteers to help identify needs of Atlanta’s street homeless population

ATLANTA – January 15, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) –The City of Atlanta announced today that it will conduct its Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count from January 22 through January 24, 2015. In partnership with the Continuum of Care (CoC), United Way, Regional Commission on Homelessness, Pathways, Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Georgia State University and the Atlanta Police Department HOPE (Homeless Outreach Prevention Emergency) and COPS (Community Oriented Policing Section) teams, the City will administer surveys to citizens experiencing homelessness. The survey will focus on individuals living in shelters and transitional housing, as well as unsheltered homeless individuals who are sleeping in outdoor locations such as sidewalks, parks, encampments and under bridges. The homeless count is critical for tracking the success of local efforts to end homelessness in metro Atlanta and essential for planning future efforts.

“My administration is committed to identifying the needs of our homeless population and matching them with available resources,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The Homeless Point-in-Time Count is the first step to make that a reality, but we need hundreds of volunteers for this effort to be successful. I urge residents to consider volunteering for this vital initiative.”

The goals of the Homeless PIT Count will extend beyond those of a traditional survey or census. Data gathered through the survey will not only be used to better understand the needs of Atlanta’s homeless, but it will also provide an essential tool for community action, and mobilize and coordinate resources to serve some of the most vulnerable in the city.

Volunteers for the Registry are needed for three shifts:
• January 22: 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.
• January 22: 10 p.m. – 3 a.m.
• January 23: 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

There will also be opportunities for volunteers to collect surveys at service locations from January 23 – January 28.

Both volunteer shifts will begin with training and briefing session to prepare volunteers. The Atlanta Police Department’s HOPE team will be on hand across Atlanta to provide support as needed, and all volunteers will be deployed on teams led by professional outreach workers.

As of the last point-in-time homeless count, there were approximately 4,800 people sleeping in emergency night shelters, transitional housing, and outdoor locations in Atlanta.

The City of Atlanta and Pathways Community Network Institute are looking to register over 400 volunteers for the survey. For more information and to sign up for a volunteer shift, visit: http://atlantacoc.wordpress.com (click Point-in-Time tab) or call 404-717-5555.

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed