This week's annual count of Dallas' homeless population offers what organizers call a snapshot of how many people are on the streets on a given night.

CODY DUTY/DMN

Kristye Palmquist with The Bridge shelter was one of dozens of volunteers who counted people in shelters, under bridges and in wooded areas throughout Dallas Thursday night. The city and Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance went to great lengths to get as accurate a number as possible.

But there are so many obstacles to counting the homeless, it's impossible to get a completely clear picture.

The city and Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance's annual count, held Thursday night, went to great lengths to get as accurate a number as possible. Dozens of volunteers counted people in shelters, under bridges and in wooded areas throughout the city. The volunteers also filled out surveys with detailed questions about why people are homeless and what kinds of help they need.

But some camps were empty when volunteers arrived. Some homeless people scattered when they saw volunteers escorted by police in squad cars. Some may have been hiding in places where volunteers didn't know to look.

Mike Rawlings, the city's homeless czar, acknowledged that the count does not include everyone without a home.

"This counts the homeless people that we can find on one night of the year." He said the results give officials a way to measure changes in the population from year to year.

The January 2008 count found 5,869 homeless people in Dallas County, including 611 chronically homeless who have mental illnesses or addictions and have been on the streets long-term. Many expect this year's numbers to rise substantially given the dismal economy.

Volunteers counted Gilbert John Bunton as he walked downtown to get to a shelter Thursday night. Bunton, who said he became homeless 12 years ago after a divorce and a lost job, said he's trying to get a place of his own again.

"The housing transition is too slow," he said of the waiting process.

Across the country, 3,900 cities and counties conducted similar counts this week, said Brian Sullivan, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which encourages local entities to conduct the counts. The results help determine what type of programs and how much money is needed.

HUD also asks local governments to keep databases to count how many homeless people are seeking social services. In Dallas, the local database shows that 10,182 received food, shelter or other services in the past year, according to the Community Council of Greater Dallas.

Some advocates have expressed concern that the counts underestimate the homeless population.

"There are a lot of people you simply can't find," said Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C. "It's always an undercount because it's virtually impossible to get an accurate count. But it's better than nothing."

Another question that comes up is how to define homelessness. Although the local count focuses on those in shelters and on the streets, countless people live in cars or bounce from relative's home to relative's home. The Dallas Independent School District has 3,800 students it considers homeless. But it uses a wider definition that includes kids whose families are temporarily staying with relatives and in motels.

The results of this week's count will not be available for several weeks because volunteers must enter data from hundreds of surveys into computer software.

Email

|

Print

|

RSS

|

|

|

Send a news tip

Create A Screen Name

Screen names can only consist of letters and numbers.
Your screen name will appear to everyone.
NOTE: You cannot change, delete,
or edit your screen name once you hit "Save".

---

Leave Comment

Conversation guidelines: We welcome your thoughts and information related to this article. When leaving comments please stay on topic and be respectful of others.

You must be logged in to contribute. Log in | Register Now!

You are logged in as screenname | Log Out

You are logged in, but do not have a "screen" name. Create a Screen Name

Showing:

Newest first Oldest first

---