| Homelessness is a critical issue for communities across North Carolina and in Guilford County, the issue is a complex one with, | |
| Over 4,770 individuals and families who experienced homelessness over the course of the year in 2009 | |
| Guilford county Schools reporting 1,585 children experiencing homelessness over the course of the 2008-2009 school year | |
| The 2010 Point in Time Count revealing 1,064 people experiencing homelessness on any given night | |
| Unemployment and Underemployment as top reasons people in Guilford County experience homelessness | |
Homeless Statistics
Three methods of data collection are used to gain an accurate picture of homelessness trends and the people experiencing homelessness over time in Guilford County. These methods include an annual Point in Time Count, an annual local school system count, and information and data collected by the State of North Carolina’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).The three pronged approach to data collection used in Guilford County reveals only a glimpse of the problem. It does not include the many people surviving outside of the system who are imminently homeless or precariously housed.
Point in Time counts, conducted annually across the nation, are designed to collect data on the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness on any given night. The information collected provides a snapshot of unduplicated sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness as defined by HUD. On Wednesday, January 27th the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County conducted Guilford County’s Annual Point in Time Count. The survey included only individuals willing to answer questions about their living status within a single 24 hour time period. Every individual or family experiencing homelessness are not included as some refuse to participate, avoid the survey, or are not found within the 24 hour time period. The 2010 Point in Time Count reveals that 1,064 individuals experience homelessness on any given night and 131 of those individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness.
The Guilford County School System reports data annually on the number of children experiencing homelessness over the course of the school year. This data, based on the US Department of Education’s definition of homelessness, includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations. During the 2008-2009 school year the Guilford County School system reported 1,585 children experiencing homelessness over the course of the school year. In addition, to the 2008-2009 school year count, on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Guilford County Schools conducted an additional count to help provide a snapshot, with a total of 1,230 children experiencing homelessness on that day.
HMIS, a software application that records and stores unduplicated counts of client-level information on the characteristics and service needs of homeless persons. The Carolina Homeless Information Network manages North Carolina’s HMIS system. It is used by homeless assistance providers to coordinate care, manage their operations, and better serve their clients. Aggregated data in the system gives insights into the extent and nature of homelessness over time. Data collected in the HMIS system reflects that Guilford County had over 4,770 individuals and families who experienced homelessness over the course of the year in 2009.
Community Reports
The Cost Effectiveness of Housing Support Teams:The Experiences of Persons Enrolled In the First Three Months by Jennifer Vaughn, Adam Walsh, and D. F. Duncan Jordan Institute for Families UNC-CH School of Social Work Chapel Hill, NC December 2008
Comprehensive Housing Report 2006, A Study Commissioned by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and Prepared by the Center to Create Housing Opportunities
Focusing on What Matters, United Way of Greater Greensboro
Health Literacy Matters, Guilford County Needs Assessment Summary, May 2006
Mental Health in Guilford County 2006, Prepared by Terri L. Shelton, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro Center for Youth, Family, & Community Partnerships
GCSAC Report on Community-Level Indicators, Prepared by Vincent T Francisco, PhD, Greer B Cook, BS BA, Mekia Barclift, MPH, Chad Schaben, MPH and Caitlin Brandt, Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 4 April 2008
The Cost Effectiveness of Supportive Housing, A Service Cost Analysis of Lennox Chase Residents, Adam Walsh, Dean Duncan, Laurie Selz-Campbell, and Jennifer Vaughn UNC-CH School of Social Work Jordan Institute for Families, December 2007
Home Run for Homelessness | 5/16/2010 | 3:00 p.m.| NewBridge Bank Park more...
Upcoming training opportunities more...
Provider Coalition | 9/9/2010| 9:30 a.m -11:30 a.m.| Unitarian Universalist Church, 5603 Hilltop Road, Jamestown more...
News about
Partners Ending Homelessness more...
