MANATEE COUNTY- This year marks the beginning of a new decade and with that, a new census. Turning Points volunteers are gathering information for both Sarasota and Manatee counties for the point-in-time census.
“It’s done nationally, but here in Sarasota-Manatee County, we go out and try to understand the face of homelessness,” said special project volunteer coordinator, Maureen Mack.
The Point-in-Time survey is a series of questions given to the homeless, allowing Turning Points and Suncoast organizations to get a better understanding of how to serve the population.
“It’s the only census that truly focuses on the homeless. Other censuses will capture the homeless, but this one is really designed to understand the face of homelessness,” said Mack.
Although the statics aren’t complete, Mack said these surveys help them track populations within the homeless community.
“In past years we’ve seen the shift from the number of men to the number of women being homes. So therefor that creates a shift in what we might provide,” said Mack.
Turning Points volunteer, Sean Macphee said the point-in-time census benefits individuals and the community as a whole.
“It gives us an idea of the funding needed and put those in need in contact with organizations that can potentially assist them. It’s beneficial to the entire homeless population community also to the individual so they can actually get in touch with these services,” said Macphee.
The census is requirement by the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine federal and local progress in preventing and ending homelessness.
“We’re not just doing a bean count; we are really trying to understand,” said Mack.
