Tech

How an app can help fight homelessness


Simmonds said Counting Us provides data on common themes of homelessness to youth, veterans and other groups so that appropriate resources can be used. The data collected through the app allows the community to “help as many people as possible with available resources,” he explains. Homelessness has a ripple effect through the community, impacting prisons, emergency rooms, tourism, etc., so reducing it has far-reaching effects, Simmonds said. Henderson agrees, saying that those interested in reducing homelessness should consider participating in a local PIT calculation themselves.

Our interviews began within minutes of arriving in our designated territory, a Walmart parking lot. The interviewees we spoke with all waited patiently as we read each question and looked at cell phone screens. Only one camper declined the interview and the gift bag. Even so, he still counts: We entered his demographic into the Observations section of the app, which is used for interviewees who are asleep, unwilling to participate, or otherwise inaccessible.

It was almost morning when we noticed a rusty Ford van idling at the edge of the lot. John shook hands with Peter, an elderly man in a white T-shirt sitting in the driver’s seat. Peter won’t shut down his truck because he’s afraid it won’t start again.

After a few questions, Monica gently asked, “So it started when your wife died 10 years ago?”

Peter pulled his scarred hands over his eyes and cried silently, then exhaled slowly, “Everything fell apart when I lost her.”

Monica continued with scripted questions after Peter longed for gas money to return to Florida. Our training program emphasizes that volunteers cannot give or bring money, so we cannot force it. At the end of the interview, Peter thanked us for the gift bag.

As I drove home from the interview, I felt guilty for wanting a hot shower. Sadness overwhelms me as I picture Peter’s hands. During our two-year ordeal, I wondered if our living situation would ever improve – then watched it worsen despite our best efforts. strength. Like Peter, I used to sit in my car and cry.

I knew there were good reasons PIT volunteers shouldn’t bring or offer money, but I signed up at that point. I took some cash and some snacks and went back out. Peter’s car is still there, still running, as I pass the presents through the window and say, “We all need hope – and hope comes in many forms.”

Peter’s expression alternates between a smile and a tear, sometimes both. I leaned on the van wheel and cried softly with him. Then I wished him the best, and he blessed me as I walked away.

A wave of gratitude washed over me as I got home, stepped into our hallway, and breathed in the fresh air. We were sick, scared, and overwhelmed when we were forced to leave our moldy home 19 years ago. But the librarian’s gift of a dictionary for my son’s homework gave me hope. Hopefully our house gets fixed and we move home. Hope everyone is interested.

Innovative housing programs often lead community members to ask “why wouldn’t someone do something about it?” and then do it yourself, using HUD grants based on demand and PIT number data. HUD allocates funds to programs that support its mission of “creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.” HUD Grant Recipients includes state and local governments, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public housing authorities, tribal and community organizations interested in ending homelessness. Grant recipients must demonstrate the extent of homelessness in their community using data provided by their PIT number.



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