Last Updated on June 3, 2018 by cassnetwork
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) has announced findings from the 2018 Balance of State (BoS) Point-in-Time (PiT) Count. Among the findings is a two percent decrease in the overall homeless population.
Agency officials attribute the continued reduction to the state’s BoS homeless population to coordination both regionally and at the local level on implementing strategies to reduce homelessness. This includes the collaboration and partnership on a statewide Coordinated Entry system.
“Coordinated Entry truly changes the Indiana Balance of State Continuum of Care from a project-focused system to a people-focused system,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch who serves as the board chair for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). “This program encourages local coordination that ensures individuals experiencing homelessness are more quickly and fairly matched with available services and housing options.”
Coordinated Entry processes help communities prioritize assistance based on vulnerability and severity of service needs. This process ensures that people who need assistance the most can receive it in a timely manner.
“Regardless of what county, an individual facing a housing crisis in Indiana can now quickly be matched with the available housing in their community,” said Jacob Sipe, Executive Director for IHCDA. “This would not be possible without the outstanding organizations who together are working with us to connect individuals facing homelessness with services that can assist them.”
Additional findings from the 2018 BoS PiT include:
Overall Numbers
- 3,576 people identified themselves as homeless*
- 11% decrease in the total number of households with dependent children
- 13% increase in the total number of households without children
*2% decrease from 2017
Chronic Homelessness
- 53% decrease in families
- 16% decrease in veterans
- 8% increase in individuals
Special Needs Populations
- 18% increase in adults who identified themselves as having a substance abuse disorder
- 8% increase in adults who identified themselves as having a serious mental illness
Rapid Rehousing
- 14% increase in available units
Taking place on January 24, 2018, the Point-in-Time Homeless Count is a requirement by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for every community receiving federal funds for programs to aid the homeless. While the amount of federal allocations is not directly based on the findings of the Point-in-Time Homeless Count, HUD considers the outcomes and justifications for upwards and downward swings as additional information for tracking purposes and future strategies on how to house persons permanently.
IHCDA is the collaborative applicant for the Indiana Continuum of Care (CoC) BoS which is charged with aligning the state’s homeless service and prevention programs in 91 of 92 Indiana counties. The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) is responsible for aligning service and prevention and conducting the PiT counts in Marion county. Results from their 2018 PiT count can be found here.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority