St. Joseph, Mo. - The homeless population in St. Joseph saw a huge decrease during the month of January according to the latest homeless point-in-time count.
The St. Joseph Continuum of Care for Homeless Services (CoC) has surveyed the homeless population since 2003. CoC is required by HUD to conduct a survey once at least every two years. However, in St. Joseph the CoC does a count every year on the last Wednesday night of January which is referred to as a “point-in-time” count.
According to the latest data released, on the night of January 28th, 2015, St. Joseph had 88 people in Emergency Shelter beds. Emergency Shelter beds are located at the YWCA Shelter, Salvation Army Booth Center and Community Missions Cold Weather Shelter. This number is a significant decrease from previous counts. In fact this is the first time since January of 2005 that we have had fewer than 100 people in Emergency Shelter. In January of 2014 there were 113 people in Emergency Shelter which has been a typical number of Emergency Shelter beds utilized for the last 3 years of counts.
Several factors contribute to the lower than expected shelter numbers. Shelter usage is often cyclical in nature. Some times of the year are busier than others. December 2014 had much milder weather than 2013 so some people delayed seeking shelter. We also have had more options for housing and case managers at all agencies have been working to place people in housing programs that offer longer term solutions. Several people that have typically been part of Emergency Shelter counts in past winters were housed and may have offered a place for others to stay on a temporary basis.
In the month of February, all three shelters have seen an increase in census for their Emergency Shelter beds. If the count were held now, we would be much closer to the 110-115 range which is more normal for a winter count of Emergency Shelter beds.
We also had fewer people in Transitional Housing programs. Most of the decrease there was in a veteran only Transitional Housing program that was at 50% capacity on the night of the count. That program has also seen an increase in census since the count date.
For the Unsheltered count we saw a slight increase over 2014 but the number overall is in line with expectations. We found 8 people who said they slept in places not meant for human habitation. This can be a car, an abandoned building, a tent, etc. We realize that there are likely people on the streets that we did not find or identify. Some people may be using vehicles to sleep in or are very hidden and difficult to locate and engage.
Chronic homelessness remains a problem in our community. These are people who are considered the most difficult to engage, house and stabilize. Mental illness and substance abuse play a large role in this population and contribute to the difficulty that these people have in maintaining stability. We counted 51 people who were in Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven or Unsheltered that would be considered chronically homeless.
Domestic violence is one of the primary causes of homelessness for women. Although some of the women seeking shelter at the YWCA do not report recent domestic violence as the precipitating factor leading to homelessness, the vast majority have been past victims of domestic and/or sexual violence. National statistics indicate that 92% of homeless women report having experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lifetime. It is clear that without access to safe shelter and housing, women and children are at extreme risk for victimization. In this count 38 people reported being the victims of domestic violence.
The St. Joseph Continuum of Care is a local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. The CoC is comprised of social service agencies, local, state and federal government entities, law enforcement, and community members.