Individuals were surveyed at local meal and service sites, such as House of Bread, Life Enrichment Center, Target Dayton Ministries, CityHeart, St. Paul United Methodist Church and the Samaritan Health Center. The count also includes people residing in emergency shelters or sleeping in unsheltered places that aren’t meant to house people, such as wooded areas, cars or abandoned buildings.
"Montgomery County strives to utilize community resources efficiently to best serve our residents experiencing homelessness," said Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice. "Ending homelessness requires a multifaceted approach. The Point-In-Time Count is a first step every year to quantify the volume of those experiencing homelessness, and it will guide how we best utilize our resources."
In the 2019 Point in Time Count, a total of 577 people in 475 households were counted in Montgomery County.
Kathleen Shanahan, continuum of care for Montgomery County Homeless Missions, said she isn’t sure how the numbers will change from last year. She mentioned that the tornadoes may have made an impact on the Miami Valley, saying that people may have been displaced as a result.
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Shanahan hopes to use the data gathered by five teams as a way to apply for funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as plan outreach programs for the area. She also hopes to raise awareness of how many people are homeless in Montgomery County.
“People will say ‘Oh, I had no idea that in one night, how many of my neighbors are experiencing homelessness,’” she said.
The teams that are traveling throughout Montgomery County are also distributing blankets, hand warmers and hats to those they interact with during the count.
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