4/30/2024
Lake County Homelessness Data Released
The results are in from the most recent annual assessment of unhoused individuals in Lake County. This assessment, called the Lake County Point in Time Count (P.I.T.), is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night every January. The annual count occurs not just in Lake County, but in counties across the U.S. and is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD).
This year’s P.I.T. count accounted for 701 individuals and an increase in those who are unhoused (unsheltered and currently in shelters) by 50 percent compared to 2023. The volunteers who participate in the overnight count utilize a specific list of questions to help create an accurate snapshot of the unhoused.
Homelessness is a complex issue and multiple data systems must be utilized to obtain an accurate picture of the overall problem. View an overall summary of the 2024 data.
The System Performance Measures report includes annualized data on homelessness in Lake County for the year that ended September 30, 2023. It indicated an increase in overall homelessness with 85 percent of the 1,087 people experiencing being unhoused for the first time. There was a 75 percent increase in families who were homeless over Fiscal Year 2022. Seventy-eight percent of the households assessed were homeless due to some form of abuse or trauma.
The average length of time for individuals in shelters decreased to 93 nights from 107 the previous reporting year.
"The Lake County Board is very concerned about the overall increase in homelessness, especially the number of families who are currently homeless in our county”, said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. "We are allocating more funding to help increase physical and mental health services, create more job opportunities and expand housing options that people can afford. By working together, we can create the housing stability that will allow our families to succeed.”
“There is no single cause for homelessness, it is a multifaceted issue,” said Brenda O’Connell, Community Development Administrator. “We know that we will have less homelessness when rents are affordable, childcare is accessible, gainful employment opportunities are increased and supportive services are available when needed.”
There are countless stories where an individual or family in Lake County ended up being homeless for the first time due to no fault of their own, but with the network of services that are available, there was a path forward to help get them back on their feet.
One such story was shared by a mother, Karina, who along with her two children became homeless for the first time in 2022. They had moved to the area and were living with a cousin until she could get settled on her own. Unfortunately, after two months the cousin and their family decided to move out of state, leaving Karina and the two children with nowhere to go. It was when one of her children told a teacher at school about their situation that a representative from the school district stepped up to help.
The family was connected to PADS Lake County with assistance from the district representative, and they were placed into an emergency shelter. In less than six months they were matched with Catholic Charities who was able to get them into permanent housing and moving forward to a better life for herself and her children.
Karina is incredibly grateful to the individuals and agencies who helped her to get where she is today and is hopeful for the future. She shared some encouraging words for those experiencing homelessness, “Never lose your faith and hope in God. Keep moving forward because nothing is forever. Appreciate the little things while you learn and grow from the experience.”
She shared her story in hopes of providing a glimpse of the personal struggle that a family can face being homeless and how important having support services are to finding permanent housing and a stable future.
The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless works to end homelessness in Lake County and is looking for residents to join the fight. Those interested in learning how to get involved can visit the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless website.
|
|
