Dec. 19, 2022, Brevard County, FL — The Point in Time Count – an annual survey of Brevard County’s homeless community – is scheduled for January 30, 2023.
The Point in Time Count aims to provide a snapshot of the individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Brevard County over the course of one night. This includes people living in unsheltered locations, such as cars, parks, streets and sidewalks, as well as those living in transitional housing or emergency shelters. Volunteers paired with professional outreach workers and case managers visit these locations and others to help gather information about the size and scope of homelessness in Brevard.
Point in Time Count data is used by nonprofit and government agencies to secure grant funding to provide resources to help those in need with services such as rapid rehousing, supportive services and case management, street outreach, essential needs, emergency shelters, and rental assistance.
“Everybody deserves to be counted,” said Brevard Homeless Coalition Executive Direct Amber Carroll. The 2022 Point in Time Count found that 902 people were experiencing homelessness. “Though this number is very high, we believe it is likely much higher based on our discussions with service organizations and others working to help homeless people in our county.”
This year the Coalition and community partners are redoubling their efforts to get as accurate a count as possible. “Having an accurate number will help our community get more funding to help more people in need,” Carroll said.
There are many groups in Brevard County who are working to help solve the problem of homelessness in our community. These include nonprofit agencies who provide transitional housing and emergency shelters, food and clothing, case management and other support.
The Coalition is also looking for support from residents, businesses and community groups. There are several ways to get involved:
- Give: Incentives are needed to help encourage homeless people to participate in the Point in Time Count. You can donate specific items using the Brevard Homeless Coalition’s Amazon Smile account, or donate funds to Brevard Homeless Coalition that will be used to purchase the necessary items.
- Share: Share information about the Point in Time Count with people you know.
- Volunteer: There are opportunities leading up to the Point in Time Count and also opportunities to participate in the count itself.
For more information, visit https://brevardhomelesscoalition.org/. Updates will also be posted on Facebook (@BrevardHomelessCoalition).
Volunteer – click here