Hastings County is preparing for an effort in October to count all of the people experiencing homelessness in the area.
A Point In Time check, where workers will attempt to document as many people experiencing homelessness as they can during a single day, will be held on October 7.
Also during October, a survey will take place asking those experiencing homelessness about their needs and experiences. The survey will continue throughout the month of October.
Both initiatives are being undertaken as part of the federal Reaching Home program, which seeks to reduce homelessness by 50% by 2028. The program began in 2019.
A previous report from the Built for Zero initiative covered from October 2023 to December 2023 and estimated 155 people were experiencing homelessness in the area. Of those people, 117 were considered chronically homeless.
