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Results of 2019 Annual Point in Time Homeless Count Released

For More Information:
Martha Taylor, HMIS Program Manager – Barnstable County Department of Human Services
508-375-6625 martha.taylor@capecod.gov

Results of 2019 Annual Point in Time Homeless Count Released

Point in Time Banner

May 9, 2019 (Barnstable, MA) – The Cape and Islands Regional Network on Homelessness has released its 2019 findings from the Annual Point in Time Count which took place on January 29, 2019, on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

The Point in Time (PIT) counts people experiencing homelessness in emergency shelters, transitional housing, motels (if paid for by an agency), on the street, in cars, in abandoned buildings, and in other places not meant for human habitation. Counts are conducted annually in every community in the United States during the last ten days of January. The PIT does not count persons or families who are doubled-up and/or living with family and friends.

On the Cape and Islands, the total number of homeless persons (adults and children, sheltered and unsheltered) on the night of the 2019 count was 371, an increase of 13 persons over last year. Two trends are worth noting. First, while the total number of homeless individuals has remained relatively consistent over the last several years, the number of families in a shelter this year increased by 7 (13 persons) from the previous count. On January 29, 2019, 195 people were housed in four family shelters across the Cape and Islands region. Second, although the total number of unsheltered individuals is virtually unchanged from 2018, there was a notable decrease in the number of unsheltered males and an increase in the number of unsheltered females.  Volunteers from dozens of agencies across the Cape and Islands assisted in collecting information during this year’s count.

According to Beth Albert, Director of Human Services for Barnstable County, “The Point in Time is a community wide effort and is a snapshot of homelessness in our region on a given night. By collecting this data on an annual basis, we have a better understanding of the number and demographics of the homeless population and are able to track trends. The information helps us in planning and allocating scarce resources.” The count also collects information on age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity and veteran’s status of the individuals and families included in the count.

The Cape and Islands Regional Network on Homelessness is a broad-based, public-private partnership committed to identifying and implementing solutions to ending homelessness on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The results of the 2019 PIT are available at https://www.bchumanservices.net

 

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