SLO County homeless population count returns after COVID delay. ‘A really important activity’
Starting around 5 a.m. on a chilly Wednesday, dozens of volunteers shuffled through brambles and peaked around tucked away corners — canvassing creek beds, wooded areas, streets and abandoned properties as part of a survey of San Luis Obispo County’s homeless population.
It was the first time the Point-in-Time count, traditionally held every two years, had been held since 2019, thanks to COVID-19 delays.
This means three years have passed since the last comprehensive official data was gathered on how many people are experiencing homelessness in SLO County.
The survey, led by the county with the help of dozens of community volunteers and partner agencies, is designed to provide a snapshot of the local unhoused population, pinpointing locations of sightings using GPS mapping.
The data contributes to how much federal and state funding is allocated to the county in areas that can help the homeless population, said George Solis, SLO County’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care Program Manager.
Volunteers on Wednesday collected data between roughly 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. on assigned routes in every corner of the county.
Using a survey app, they entered information on confirmed and suspected sightings of those living without a roof over their head — sleeping on the streets, in cars, parks and open spaces.
Organizers assigned routes and used tract maps to record the information.
The count also included those staying in temporary shelters and warming centers.
“One of the things that people ask is ‘Why does this matter?’” Jack Lahey, homeless services director for the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, told The Tribune. “Well, it’s funding and services. But really, it’s counting people who deserve to be counted because a lot of times they aren’t counted in the census system, or the American population surveys. This is really a function to count those who are sometimes really invisible.”
Lahey added it helps service providers know who needs help.
“It’s a really important activity,” Lahey said.
When will the homeless count results be released?
The results typically aren’t released until months after the information is gathered, after modeling and data analysis. According to Solis, the data is usually available in June or July.
That last official Point-in-Time survey showed an increase of nearly 32% in 2019, recording an estimated 1,483 people compared to the 1,125 people counted in 2017.
The count in 2013 recorded 2,186 unhoused individuals, the highest of the previous four assessments.
By many anecdotal accounts, the current unsheltered population in SLO County has gone up over the past few years.
That’s due to COVID-19 economic and health and safety factors, they say, as well as housing affordability challenges in a market that has dramatically spiked in its cost of living.
Homeless encampments are frequently spotted in open space areas in SLO County, where tents and belongings are stored temporarily for days at a time, creating safety and sanitation concerns.
Officials say they encourage those sleeping outside to use shelters such as 40 Prado in San Luis Obispo or the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) in Atascadero and accept help from service workers who can connect them with mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, housing programs and other resources.
Some homeless advocates have called for a new regional tiny home village as a part of the solution to getting people off the streets — calling existing services inadequate to deal with the current population.
What is was like for volunteers performing count
As part of Wednesday’s count, Lahey and Kelsey Nocket, the city of SLO’s homeless response manager, navigated the Bob Jones Trail and surrounding open space areas, where several homeless campsites have been seen in recent months and years.
In January, the city cleared out several people living along the trail to conduct safety improvements that included wood fencing along the 1.5-mile stretch and cutting back vegetation to prevent fires.
Though much cleaner than before, after an effort to pick up trash and discarded items, the natural space still has litter such as plastic bags, clothing items and abandoned shopping carts.
But few people currently were found along the trail, indicating the effect of the clear-out.
“Health and sanitation is a big concern,” Nocket said. “One woman there was using rat poison because of the rodent infestation in and around her campsite. That’s a concern not only for the natural areas there, but also her own health and well-being.”
Crossing over San Luis Obispo Creek, the surveyors came upon a covered dwelling fashioned using branches from trees, where they counted at least three people, possibly four, camping.
Further down the trail, another tent was set up between some trees in the dewy grass.
Hearing voices, a lone man emerged from his tent and greeted Nocket, who conversed with him for a few minutes.
“He said he’s from Soledad and just staying here for a couple of nights,” Nocket said. “His brother went to Cal Poly and lives around here and they’re close. The brother has kids and doesn’t have room for him in the house.”
Nocket entered the location and a confirmed sighting in the app on her phone for the survey.
She said she told him about available services and ways he can get help and shelter.
Sometimes it can take several outreach contacts to connect someone to social services, but this time, a response of receptiveness came right way, she said.
“He wants to receive services,” Nocket said.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 1:53 PM.
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