2011 Report on Homelessness
Georgia's 20,000
August 2012
Georgia's 20,000
2011 Report on Homelessness
Homelessness in Georgia
In 2011, DCA used the following categories to define homelessness:
Sheltered Homeless lives in emergency shelter, transitional housing for homeless persons or a hotel or motel with the stay being paid for by an organization
Unsheltered Homeless lives in a car, park, abandoned building, encampment, dilapidated building, on the sidewalk, or similar location
Precariously Housed: is facing loss of housing within the week or staying in dilapidated housing (not fit for human habitation)
Other Homeless is in jail, a hospital, or a detox program, but would otherwise have been homeless1
In addition to people who live in these circumstances, other people are living in motels, hotels, or are doubled up with friends or family. They may move frequently among temporary living arrangements. For some public programs, these living conditions also are categorized as homelessness.
DCA also used the subcategory "literally homeless," which is comprised of sheltered homeless persons and unsheltered homeless persons.
The unifying condition for virtually all of Georgia's homeless population is poverty. Many people who are homeless also experience some type of personal vulnerability that places them at risk, such as:
Family violence Physical disability or chronic medical problems Mental illness Substance abuse Development disability or brain injury Criminal background
1 Based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition of homelessness in 2011.
3
Georgia's Continuums of Care
Athens-Clarke County Augusta-Richmond County Cobb County Columbus-Muscogee County Georgia Balance of State (152 counties, administered by the
Georgia Department of Community Affairs) Metro Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative on Homelessness
(City of Atlanta, DeKalb County, and Fulton County) Savannah-Chatham County
Georgia's Homeless Population
In the last ten days of January 2011, all seven of the state's homeless program regions, called Continuums of Care, conducted a count of homeless individuals and families. The resulting homeless census provides an indication of the size and characteristics of the state's homeless population.
On the night of January 23, at least 19,960 people were literally homeless in Georgia. More than half were unsheltered; the other 43% were in emergency or transitional housing.
Georgia's Literally Homeless Population Single Night (Point in Time Count)
Housing Status
Number of Individuals
Unsheltered
11,383
Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing
8,577
Total
19,960
In addition to the literally homeless population, DCA counted 4,712 precariously housed persons on the count night.2
Georgia's homeless population isn't static. Some of the people who were homeless on the January count date will find housing. Other people, who had housing on count night, will later become homeless. An estimated 62,172 people experienced literal homelessness in Georgia in 2011. This is 31% lower than the 2009 estimate.
2 O n the count night, DCA defined "precariously housed persons" as those facing loss of housing within two weeks or staying in dilapidated housing.
4
HHoom(Smheelteelreledesasnssd UPPnseeherrltsseroeod)nnss (Sheltered and Unsheltered)
Dade
Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin Hart
Jackson Madison Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oconee
Oglethorpe Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
FayeCttleaSyptaolndHinegnryRoBckudtNtaselewtoJnaspeMr orgaPnutnamGreenHeancToaclkiaferWroGalrarsecnocMk cDufCfieoluRmicbhiamond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson Bibb
Talbot
Crawford
Wilkinson Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Chatta- Marion
Houston Bleckley Macon
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Sumter Quitman
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth
Irwin Tift
Colquitt
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Lanier
Brooks Lowndes
Clinch Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Ware
Brantley
Glynn
Charlton
Camden
Number of Persons by County
0 - 24
100 - 499
25 - 49
500 - 999
50 - 99
1000 +
Source: 2011 Sheltered Count; 2011 Unsheltered Count and Predictive Model
Map prepared by: 2011
5
UUnnsshhCeCehhlaltantnegegererSeeSindincdeceP2P02e00e9r0rs9soonns s
Dade Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin Hart
Jackson Madison Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oconee
Oglethorpe Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
Clayton
Rockdale Henry Newton
Morgan
Greene Taliaferro
Columbia
Fayette Spalding
Butts Jasper
Putnam
Warren McDuffie
Hancock Glascock
Richmond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike
Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson Talbot
Bibb Crawford
Wilkinson Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Marion Chatta-
Macon
Houston Bleckley
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Sumter Quitman
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth
Irwin Tift
Colquitt
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Lanier
Brooks Lowndes
Clinch Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Brantley
Glynn
Ware
Charlton
Camden
Significant Increase * Increase Decrease Significant Decrease *
*Statistically significant at the .05 level
Source: 2011 Unsheltered Count and Predictive Model; 2009 Unsheltered Count and Predictive Model
Map prepared by:
2011
6
The Face of Homelessness in Georgia: The Georgia Housing Status Survey
In January 2011, DCA distributed and collected 6,851 surveys in 59 counties for the State's homeless count. 2,645 of the respondents were homeless. The resulting data, presented below, paints a more detailed picture of homelessness in Georgia.
Characteristics 50% of homeless respondents were African American, 40% were White, and the remaining respondents were Multi-Racial, Native American, or Asian.
The majority of homeless respondents (92%) were living in Georgia when they first became homeless.
About 13% of the homeless respondents were also veterans.
Homeless Respondents and Family Members
Other Homeless 5%
Unsheltered Homeless 19%
Precariously Housed 45%
Sheltered Homeless
31%
Roughly half of the homeless respondents were either sheltered or unsheltered. 45% were precariously housed, meaning that they were facing loss of their housing within two weeks or staying in dilapidated housing. The remaining 5% were either in jail, a hospital, or a detox program, but would otherwise have been homeless.
7
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Unsheltered Homeless
Gender by Housing Status
Sheltered Homeless
Precariously Housed
Missing data rate: 3%
Other Homeless
Male Female
Length of Homeless Episode One objective of homeless programs is to make episodes of homelessness as short as possible. Typically, the longer an individual or family is homeless, the more services and support they will need to become stably housed. 32% of survey respondents who were classified as homeless had been homeless less than three months. 34% of survey respondents who were homeless had been homeless more than a year.
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Length of Current Homeless Episode by Housing Status
Unsheltered Homeless
Sheltered Precariously Homeless Housed
Missing data rate = 4%
Other Homeless
> 1 year 6 months - 1 year 3 - 6 months 30 - 90 days < 30 days
8
Employment, Disability and Mainstream Benefits
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Worked for Pay in 30 Days Prior to Survey
Unsheltered Homeless
Sheltered Precariously
Homeless
Housed
Missing data rate: 12%
Other Homeless
Not at All Day Labor Part-Time Full-Time
About 51% of survey respondents indicated that they had at least one disability. These disabilities included chronic medical conditions, physical disabilities, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, and addictive diseases.
A disproportionate number of individuals with mental illness and addictive diseases are homeless. Georgia's Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities reported that 7,157 homeless mental health consumers were served in FY2010. During FY2011, 3,098 homeless adults and 320 children/adolescents accessed mental health services.
Self-Reported Disabilities (Multiple Answers Allowed)
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Severe HIV/AIDS Chronic Chronic Chronic Physical
Mental
Medical Drug Abuse Alcohol Disability
Illness
Condition
Abuse
9
Extremely low incomes, coupled with high rates of disability, make medical care a significant cost associated with homelessness. 37% of survey respondents categorized as homeless indicated that they had been to the hospital emergency room in the past six months.
Mainstream benefits are federal and state programs that generally target people who live in poverty or have a disability. Many people who are homeless qualify for these benefits. However, applying for and receiving them can be difficult for the homeless population.
Self-Reported Benefits/Services Received (Multiple Answers Allowed)
Benefit
Percent of Respondents
Food Stamps
45%
SSI
5%
TANF
2%
Unemployment
3%
PeachCare
4%
Social Security
5%
SSI Disability
10%
Workman's Comp
0%
Veteran's
2%
Medicaid
19%
DHS Independent Living Program
0%
Mental Health or Addiction
10%
Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing
0%
GeorgiaCares
0%
Housing Choice Voucher
1%
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
0%
Characteristics of Persons entered into HMIS
The Georgia Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) collects information on Georgia's homeless population. HMIS is a data collection system designed to track services and housing provided throughout the state. Georgia's HMIS is a statewide system that uses Pathways COMPASS.
Georgia's HMIS shows that, statewide, 12,637 persons stayed in emergency shelters and 3,663 persons stayed in transitional housing in FY2011.
10
Total Number of Residents Female Under 18 55 and older Veteran With a Disability
FY2011 HMIS Records
Emergency Shelter
Transitional Housing
12,637
3,663
4,620 (37%)
1,514 (41%)
1,722 (14%)
887 (24%)
1,889 (15%)
414 (11%)
1,255 (10%)
458 (13%)
3,146 (25%)
2,013 (36%)
Responding to the Need
Because homelessness is a consequence of poverty, its solutions must include affordable housing, along with employment or mainstream benefits sufficient to maintain housing stability. When disabilities put people at risk for continued or recurring homelessness, outreach and services play a crucial part in getting them into housing and helping them stay there. For many families and individuals, homelessness prevention is the best answer to the problem.
Housing The goal of programs that serve homeless families and individuals is permanent, stable housing. The path to that goal may be directly from homelessness into independent housing a path reflected in housing programs that use the "rapid rehousing" or "housing first" model. Other people will move from homelessness into an emergency shelter that provides basic housing and services for a very limited period of time. Transitional housing provides housing, case management, and services for up to 24 months, with the goal of moving participants into permanent housing. Emergency and transitional housing for victims of domestic violence is reported separately from other housing resources, as these beds are reserved for a specific client group.
Permanent Supportive Housing is a successful, cost-effective combination of affordable housing and services that helps people live more stable, productive lives. Supportive housing works well for people who face the most complex challenges-- individuals and families who are not only homeless, but who also have serious, persistent disabilities and very low incomes.
In Georgia, there are 15,871 beds designated for homeless persons.
2010-2011 Statewide Bed Inventory
Type of Housing
Number of Beds
Emergency and Transitional Housing
10,313
Permanent Supportive Housing
5,558
Total
15,871
11
EEmmeregrgeennccyyaannddTTrraannssiittioionnaallBBeeddss
Dade Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin Hart
Jackson Madison Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oglethorpe
Oconee
Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
Clayton Fayette
Rockdale Henry Newton
Morgan
Gre
Spalding Butts Jasper Putnam
ene Taliaferro
Columbia
Warren McDuffie
Hancock Glascock
Richmond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson Bibb
Talbot
Crawford
Wilkinson Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Chatta- Marion
Macon
Houston Bleckley
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Quitman
Sumter
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth Colquitt
Irwin Tift
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Lanier
Brooks Lowndes
Clinch Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Ware
Brantley
Glynn
Charlton
Camden
Number of Beds by County
0
101 - 200
1 - 25
201 - 700
26 - 100
701 +
Source: 2011 Continuum of Care Housing Inventories
Map prepared by: 2011
12
PPeremrmananenent tSuSpupppoortritvieveHHouousisninggBBeeddss
Dade
Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin
Jackson Madison
Hart Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oconee
Oglethorpe Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
FayeCttleaSyptaolndHinegnryRoBckudtNtaselewtoJnaspeMr orgaPnutnamGreenHeancToaclkiaferWroGalrarsecnocMk cDufCfieoluRmicbhiamond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike
Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson Bibb
Talbot
Crawford
Wilkinson Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Chatta- Marion
Houston Bleckley Macon
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Sumter
Quitman
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth Colquitt
Irwin Tift
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Brooks
Lanier
Clinch
Lowndes Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Brantley Ware
Glynn
Charlton
Camden
Number of Beds by County
0
51 - 150
1 - 25
151 - 300
26 - 50
301 +
Map prepared by:
Source: 2011 Continuum of Care Housing Inventories
2011
13
PPooiinntt--inin-T-TimimeeEEsstitmimaateteoof fUUnnmmetetNNeeeeddss
Dade Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin
Jackson Madison
Hart Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oglethorpe
Oconee
Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
Clayton
Rockdale Henry Newton
Morgan
Greene Taliaferro
Columbia
Fayette Spalding
Butts Jasper Putnam
Warren McDuffie
Hancock Glascock
Richmond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike
Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson
Bibb
Wilkinson
Talbot
Crawford
Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Marion Chatta-
Houston Bleckley Macon
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Quitman
Sumter
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth
Irwin Tift
Colquitt
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Lanier
Brooks Lowndes
Clinch Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Brantley
Glynn
Ware
Charlton
Camden
Percent of Unmet Need
0% - 24%
75% - 99%
25% - 49%
100%
50% - 74%
Source: 2011 Continuum of Care Housing Inventories Unmet Needs: Total Homeless Persons Minus Total Beds (Emergency, Transitional, and Permanent Supportive)
Map prepared by:
2011
14
Point-in-Time Estimate of Empty Beds
Point-in-Time Estimate of Empty Beds
Dade Catoosa Whitfield Murray
Fannin
Towns Union
Rabun
Walker
Gilmer
Habersham
Chattooga
Gordon
Pickens
Lumpkin White
Stephens
Floyd
Dawson Hall
Bartow Cherokee Forsyth
Banks Franklin
Jackson Madison
Hart Elbert
Polk Haralson
Paulding Cobb
Gwinnett
Douglas
DeKalb Fulton
Barrow Walton
Clarke Oglethorpe
Oconee
Wilkes
Lincoln
Carroll Heard
Coweta
Clayton
Rockdale Henry Newton
Morgan
Greene Taliaferro
Columbia
Fayette Spalding
Butts Jasper
Putnam
Warren McDuffie
Hancock Glascock
Richmond
Troup
Meriwether
Pike
Lamar Monroe
Jones Baldwin
Jefferson Washington
Burke
Harris
Upson Bibb
Talbot
Crawford
Wilkinson Twiggs
Johnson
Jenkins Screven
Muscogee
Taylor
Peach
Emanuel
Marion Chatta-
Macon
Houston Bleckley
Laurens Treutlen
Candler Bulloch Effingham
hoochee
Schley
Stewart Webster Quitman
Sumter
Dooly Crisp
Pulaski Wilcox
Dodge
Mont-
gomery
Wheeler
Toombs
Evans
Telfair
Tattnall
Bryan
Chatham
Randolph Terrell Lee
Turner
Ben Hill
Jeff Davis Appling
Liberty Long
Clay Calhoun Dougherty
Early Miller
Baker Mitchell
Worth
Irwin Tift
Colquitt
Berrien Cook
Coffee Atkinson
Seminole Decatur
Grady
Thomas
Lanier
Brooks Lowndes
Clinch Echols
Bacon
Wayne
Pierce
McIntosh
Ware
Brantley
Glynn
Charlton
Camden
Percent of Beds Empty
0%
51% - 75%
1% - 25% 26% - 50%
76% - 100% Source: 2011 Continuum of Care Housing Inventories Empty Beds: Total Beds Minus Total Sheltered (Emergency and Transitional Only)
Map prepared by: 2011
15
Not surprisingly, these beds are concentrated in the state's most urban areas. Taking into account homeless program beds that were empty on the point-in-time night, a comparison of the homeless count to the number of beds available indicates that Georgia needs at least 2,353 additional beds statewide to guarantee shelter or temporary housing space for the unsheltered. The unmet shelter needs map provides a more precise picture, showing large portions of the state's rural areas where virtually all of the shelter need is unmet. In addition to the unmet shelter needs shown on the map, there are people residing in institutions who may need permanent supportive housing in order to live independently.
Comparing the point-in-time (single night) count of sheltered homeless persons to the bed inventory shows that on count night 83% of the available beds were in use.
Domestic Violence Shelters 3,783 adults and 3,824 children were provided with shelter at Department of Human Services certified Domestic Violence Agencies in FY2011. At least 2,588 additional victims of domestic violence were denied shelter during this period due to lack of shelter space.
Emergency Shelters Emergency shelters and outreach to unsheltered populations are the shelter entry points for thousands of persons who have become homeless. In FY2011, through 75 project grants, DCA assisted in providing 2,598 bed spaces in emergency shelter facilities, with an average of 2,262 clients receiving housing per day. A total of 28,467 persons were housed by DCA-funded shelter programs this year. 41% of the persons housed by these shelter programs were persons in families and 59% of the persons housed were individuals. Of the total number receiving emergency shelter, nearly 26% were children.
Transitional Housing In FY2011, through 68 grants, DCA assisted in providing 1,963 bed spaces in transitional housing facilities, with an average of 1,762 clients receiving housing per day. A total of 5,299 persons were housed by DCA-funded transitional programs this year. 56% of the persons housed by these transitional housing programs were persons in families and 44% of the persons housed were individuals. Of the total number receiving transitional housing, 37% were children.
Supportive Services In addition to housing, DCA awards money to organizations that provide services designed to address issues that may contribute to homelessness. The range of supportive services available through provider programs included housing support services, outreach, case management, childcare, employment training, financial counseling, legal aid, mental health counseling, health care, and substance abuse therapy. In FY2011, through 74 project grants, DCA assisted in providing supportive services to an average of 1,844 clients per day. A total of 47,963 persons received supportive services through programs funded during the year.
16
Shelter Plus Care (S+C) The Shelter Plus Care program is designed to provide housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities and their families. There are 67 current projects with 1,495 units under contract. 32 programs are operating in a five-year grant period while 35 programs are operating in a renewal term for a 12 month period. The programs benefit an estimated 2,300 individuals or heads of families who are homeless or chronically homeless and have a disability.
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized a $1.5 billion dollar Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program to provide assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless, many due to the economic crisis, and to re-housing persons who are homeless. $14 million of this amount was allocated to 11 local government agencies in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs received $19 million to implement a program outside of these local governments which received funds directly. The HPRP funds target households who are facing housing instability: 1) individuals and families who are currently in housing but are at risk of becoming homeless and in need of temporary assistance to prevent homelessness (prevention), and 2) households who are experiencing homelessness and need assistance in order to obtain housing and retain it (rapid re-housing). In FY2011, DCA assisted 12,037 persons in 4,046 households totaling $11,200,026 with financial assistance for housing relocation and stabilization services, including but not limited to rental assistance.
Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council Established by Executive Order of former Governor Perdue, the Homeless Action Plan (The State's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Ten Years) developed by the Council was endorsed by the Governor on November 29, 2004, and significant work is underway. This collaborative initiative is focused on ending chronic homelessness; policies that will eliminate discharging clients back into homeless situations; improving state agency coordination; improving access to SSI with a consideration given to presumptive eligibility; evaluation of fiscal effectiveness; effective homeless prevention policies; and coordination strategies that will best achieve the Council's and the Governor's goals for ending chronic homelessness in Georgia. In recognizing that the planning and strategizing necessary to address homelessness cannot be confined to `homeless-only' planning processes, DCA actively participates in mainstream planning efforts throughout the State such as the Mental Health Planning Advisory Council, the Prisoner Re-Entry Policy Team, and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.
17
Special Thanks
The 2011 housing stability count would not have been possible without the efforts of many people and organizations across the state.
Dr. Jennifer Priestley, Kennesaw State University Gbolade Soneyin, Fulton County Department of Health & Human Services Evan Mills, Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County Vicki Johnson, Augusta-Richmond County Elizabeth Dillard-Alcantara, Homeless Resource Network, Inc. Janice E. Sheffield, Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless Carolyn Bridges, The Center for Family Resources Paul Vaughn, A. L. Burruss Institute Christy Storey, A. L. Burruss Institute Chris Cusumano, Kennesaw State University Olivia Gupton, Kennesaw State University Ilona Nagy, Concerted Services Lauren Miller, Southwest Georgia Regional Commission Anitra Harden, Milledgeville Housing Authority Elvin Mainor, Lowndes Associated Ministries to People, Inc. Johnny Fambro, Macon Coalition to End Homelessness Joan Stoddard, United Way of CSRA Rev. James Ham, Missions for Camden Loretta North, Carrollton Housing Authority Melissa Holcombe, Catoosa County Public Schools / Family Collaborative Kendra-Sue Derby, MUST Ministries Luella Clark, Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless Walter Mattox, Southwest Georgia Housing Development Lynda Suarez, CSRA EOA Shawn Howell, Ninth District Opportunity, Inc. Josie Parker, Pathways Community Network Institute, Inc. Stanley Williams, Gateway Behavioral Health Services Stacey Abernathy, Calhoun Affordable Housing Targie Folds, Greene County Board of Education Susy Bus, Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services Michelle Thompson, AVITA Community Partners Kathy Hart, HODAC
18
Appendix A The Homeless Count Requirement and Methodology
Congressionally Mandated Data Collection Homeless Counts and HMIS
In order to better respond to homelessness in America, Congress has incorporated data collection requirements into the McKinney-Vento Act's programs for the homeless. The hope is that through data collection, progress toward eliminating homelessness can be tracked and programs can be tailored to better meet the need. Through amendments to the McKinney Vento Act and by HUD regulation, the nation's homeless service providers must:
1) adopt a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). HMIS is a person-level data collection system on people who access homeless services.3
2) conduct a regular homeless census. Point-in-time homeless counts must be conducted during the last ten days of January in odd years (January 2011, 2013, and so on).
A homeless census consists of counting both sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons.
A count of sheltered homeless people is comprised of those who occupy emergency shelters, transitional housing, recovery programs that serve homeless and non-homeless clients, and motels if motel vouchers are provided by a service agency. The goal for the sheltered count is for the data to ultimately come from HMIS.
A count of unsheltered homeless people is comprised of those who reside in places not meant for human habitation, such as on the streets, in vehicles, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, and makeshift shelters such as tents.
As a result of data requirements placed on the Continuums of Care, HUD is now able to issue an annual assessment of homelessness to Congress. In the most recent assessment, the 2010 Annual Assessment Report to Congress4, HUD estimated that 650,000 people across the country were on the streets, in emergency shelters, or in transitional housing programs on a single night in January of that year.
3 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Office of Community Planning and Development. August 2001. Report to Congress: HUD's Strategy for Homeless Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting.
4 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Office of Community Planning and Development. July 2011. The 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
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Georgia's Homeless Counts
In response to the mandates described above, each of Georgia's seven Continuums of Care is engaged in an effort to count their jurisdiction's sheltered an unsheltered homeless population. Although each Continuum has an independent responsibility to meet McKinney-Vento data collection requirements, the seven Continuums have been working cooperatively with a single HMIS provider (Pathways Community Network) and share data related to their counts.
Sheltered Homeless Counts
The census of homeless persons and families in shelter is typically done annually, in conjunction with a housing inventory. The housing inventory is an opportunity for each Continuum of Care to track the available housing resources for homeless persons. The goal of each inventory is to account for all housing resources for people that are homeless (emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing), not just those that are funded by the state or federal government. Each January, the Continuums attempt to collect data from all homeless service providers about the number and type of beds (emergency, transitional, or permanent supportive) provided. Additionally, those service providers are asked to provide information on how many people they had utilizing the beds on a single specified night (sheltered count). Eventually, HMIS will provide this data for all participating service providers, leaving only the independent providers to be surveyed.
Unsheltered Counts
There are two generally accepted methodologies for conducting counts of unsheltered persons.5 The service based method uses surveys collected from persons seeking service. The surveys are generally collected during a one-to two-week period, but focus on a single point-in-time. The other method is the street count or canvassing method that uses a visual count of people sleeping outdoors, in encampments, and in abandoned buildings on a single night. The implementation of these methodologies varies considerably across jurisdictions, and some communities use a hybrid methodology that combines features of each approach.
In Georgia, the locally-based Continuums have typically relied on a street count or canvassing methodology. Clarke, Cobb, and the Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative have relied exclusively on the canvassing method to obtain their unsheltered counts. The Savannah-Chatham Continuum mostly relied on a canvassing method but also used supplementary surveys to count those who had been hard to locate on the point-in-time night. The Columbus-Muscogee Continuum relied on service-based count. For its 2011 count, the Augusta-Richmond Continuum worked collaboratively with the Balance of State Continuum to conduct a service-based count.
5 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Office of Community Planning and Development. October 2004. A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People.
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The Georgia Balance of State Continuum of Care covers 152 counties, many of them rural, presenting a significant challenge in conducting the biennial unsheltered count. While DCA was able to conduct a sheltered count to comply with the 2004 count requirement, until 2008 it did not have a feasible way to count unsheltered homeless people in the 152 counties. To meet the federal requirement, estimation techniques based on count data from other jurisdictions were used. Beginning in 2008, DCA has used a sampling methodology and predictive model developed by statistics faculty at Kennesaw State University.6 In 2011, the data used for the model came from survey counts conducted in 59 counties.7 Additionally, the model used data from the street counts in the other Continuums. The counts conducted in the Balance of State were done using surveys collected at locations where people receive services and in places where homeless persons are known to congregate and stay.
6 Jennifer Lewis Priestley. May 2008. Every Georgian Counts: Final Report on Sampling and Modeling. Kennesaw State University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
7 Jennifer Lewis Priestley. November 2011. Every Georgian Counts: 2009 Estimates of Homelessness in Georgia. Kennesaw State University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics. 21
AAppppeendnidx iBx B Homeless Population and Shelter Beds
2010-2011 Point-inH-Tiomme eBleedssInPveonptuorliaetsi,oSnhealntedreSdhCeolutenrtsB, aenddsPredictive Model
2010-2011 Point-in-Time Bed Inventories, Sheltered Counts, and Predictive Model
COUNTY APPLING ATKINSON BACON BAKER BALDWIN BANKS BARROW BARTOW BEN HILL BERRIEN BIBB BLECKLEY BRANTLEY BROOKS BRYAN BULLOCH BURKE BUTTS CALHOUN CAMDEN CANDLER CARROLL CATOOSA CHARLTON CHATHAM CHATTAHOOCHEE CHATTOOGA CHEROKEE CLARKE CLAY CLAYTON
Sheltered Homeless Persons (Emergency and Transitional Housing)
0 0 0 0 9 0 25 28 0 0 233 0 0 0 0 54 0 15 0 0 0 49 0 0 590 0 7 188 181 0 136
Unsheltered Homeless (Counts and Predictive Model)
34 23 14 12 94 36 80 30 33 45 138 28 43 57 34 129 73 48 19 81 22 107 77 27 476 17 60 80 226 13 278
Total Homeless
34 23 14 12 103 36 105 58 33 45 371 28 43 57 34 183 73 63 19 81 22 156 77 27 1066 17 67 268 407 13 414
Total Emergency and Transitional Beds
0 0 0 0 12 0 79 48 0 0 242 0 0 0 0 53 0 15 0 0 0 70 0 0 461 0 7 188 214 0 248
20
22
COUNTY CLINCH COBB COFFEE COLQUITT COLUMBIA COOK COWETA CRAWFORD CRISP DADE DAWSON DECATUR DEKALB DODGE DOOLY DOUGHERTY DOUGLAS EARLY ECHOLS EFFINGHAM ELBERT EMANUEL EVANS FANNIN FAYETTE FLOYD FORSYTH FRANKLIN FULTON GILMER GLASCOCK GLYNN GORDON GRADY GREENE
Sheltered Homeless Persons (Emergency and Transitional Housing)
0 361
0 47 4 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 394 0 0 118 80 0 0 0 2 0 0 22 10 60 29 0 4066 0 0 28 22 0 5
Unsheltered Homeless (Counts and Predictive Model)
19 49 91 99 41 32 84 34 53 42 34 81 132 55 25 182 92 38 13 62 40 50 23 59 33 127 187 48 2234 77 6 148 64 61 51
Total Homeless
19 410 91 146 45 32 108 34 53 42 34 81 526 55 25 300 172 38 13 62 42 50 23 81 43 187 216 48 6300 77
6 176 86 61 56
Total Emergency and Transitional Beds
0 410
0 80 4 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 541 0 0 170 122 0 0 0 10 0 0 26 15 87 31 0 4889 0 0 49 24 0 18
21
23
COUNTY GWINNETT HABERSHAM HALL HANCOCK HARALSON HARRIS HART HEARD HENRY HOUSTON IRWIN JACKSON JASPER JEFF DAVIS JEFFERSON JENKINS JOHNSON JONES LAMAR LANIER LAURENS LEE LIBERTY LINCOLN LONG LOWNDES LUMPKIN MACON MADISON MARION MCDUFFIE MCINTOSH MERIWETHER MILLER MITCHELL
Sheltered Homeless Persons (Emergency and Transitional Housing)
379 53 52 0 0 0 0 0 16 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 50 0 0 70 8 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0
Unsheltered Homeless (Counts and Predictive Model)
11 81 149 35 59 33 54 29 86 83 23 71 30 23 51 31 37 37 35 31 64 16 90 19 31 136 73 35 58 22 45 41 61 15 48
Total Homeless
390 134 201 35 59 33 54 29 102 128 23 71 30 23 51 31 37 37 35 31 70 16 140 19 31 206 81 35 58 22 49 41 61 15 48
Total Emergency and Transitional Beds
393 60 51 0 0 0 8 0 26 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 61 0 0 114 12 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
22
24
COUNTY MONROE MONTGOMERY MORGAN MURRAY MUSCOGEE NEWTON OCONEE OGLETHORPE PAULDING PEACH PICKENS PIERCE PIKE POLK PULASKI PUTNAM QUITMAN RABUN RANDOLPH RICHMOND ROCKDALE SCHLEY SCREVEN SEMINOLE SPALDING STEPHENS STEWART SUMTER TALBOT TALIAFERRO TATTNALL TAYLOR TELFAIR TERRELL THOMAS
Sheltered Homeless Persons (Emergency and Transitional Housing)
0 0 3 0 261 53 5 0 43 0 5 0 0 6 0 0 0 12 0 411 19 0 0 0 26 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 52
Unsheltered Homeless (Counts and Predictive Model)
48 24 40 69 255 85 24 25 112 51 44 31 21 95 28 52 15 45 21 83 54 7 41 26 98 60 12 72 15 8 66 25 33 29 95
Total Homeless
48 24 43 69 516 138 29 25 155 51 49 31 21 101 28 52 15 57 21 494 73 7 41 26 124 66 12 72 15 8 66 25 33 29 147
Total Emergency and Transitional Beds
0 0 3 0 274 83 5 0 60 0 6 0 0 13 0 0 0 12 0 460 22 0 0 0 32 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78
23
25
COUNTY
Sheltered Homeless Persons (Emergency and Transitional Housing)
Unsheltered Homeless (Counts and Predictive Model)
Total Homeless
Total Emergency and Transitional Beds
TIFT
44
66
110
77
TOOMBS
51
7
58
64
TOWNS
0
31
31
0
TREUTLEN
0
26
26
0
TROUP
26
87
113
36
TURNER
0
17
17
0
TWIGGS
0
26
26
0
UNION
12
54
66
15
UPSON
0
47
47
0
WALKER
6
120
126
18
WALTON
0
88
88
0
WARE
8
63
71
14
WARREN
0
9
9
0
WASHINGTON
0
35
35
0
WAYNE
11
42
53
12
WEBSTER
0
4
4
0
WHEELER
0
18
18
0
WHITE
0
60
60
0
WHITFIELD
42
61
103
58
WILCOX
0
19
19
0
WILKES
5
28
33
6
WILKINSON
0
12
12
0
WORTH
0
11
11
0
STATE TOTAL
8577
11383
19960
10313
Based on 2010 and 2011 Continuum of Care Housing Inventories and 2011 Homeless Count and Predictive Model
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