Homeless count next week

Carlton County is participating in a nationwide count of people experiencing homelessness next week, to try to document the number of people living in homeless conditions on a particular date. It’s called a Point-In-Time count, or PIT count. Nationally, that date is Wednesday, Jan. 23.

In frozen Carlton County, PIT count organizers are conducting interviews the entire week of January 20 and also hoping people will attend the 2019 Operation Community Connect (OCC) event on Wednesday, Jan. 23. (See next news brief for more on that.)

A cooperative team of area organizations, community groups, and public service agencies that directly and indirectly provide help to the homeless are involved in this project. They will be surveying people who are in the following living situations:

•Sleeping outside

•Staying in a shelter or emergency housing

•Staying in a hotel or motel that’s paid for by an agency, program or church organization

•Living in a vehicle, tent, camper, RV (with no hook ups), or abandoned building

•Living in a trailer, barn, shed or garage on a relative’s or friend’s property

•Temporarily living with relatives, friends, or others, or couch-surfing

The count provides a snapshot of Carlton County that will help our community understand trends and respond to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Carlton County will use information from surveys to help bring funds for services to Northeast Minnesota or Carlton County to help families and individuals experiencing homelessness obtain housing services.

Finally, if you know someone who is homeless or living with friends, please encourage them to call Bob Nelson, Cloquet/Carlton Housing and Redevelopment Authority Section 8 and Housing Choice voucher coordinator, at 218-879-3353.