Annual count shows homelessness down slightly in Champaign County

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - An annual count has shown homelessness is down slightly in Champaign County. 

A total of 137 individuals were identified as homeless in Champaign County during the most recent Point-in-Time (PIT) count, down 11 from the 148 individuals identified through the count in 2021.

The count was conducted by the Continuum of Services Providers to the Homeless (CSPH) on January 27, 2022. More than 30 volunteers split into teams to search Champaign County for people experiencing homelessness.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the PIT count annually in late January in order to provide a snapshot of the state of homelessness throughout the country.

Congress uses this data to disseminate funds for homeless services. 

Only two people were identified as experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Champaign County. The people identified were not the same as in last year’s count.

The 137 total individuals were identified from 98 households. Of those individuals, 111 were sheltered in emergency shelters and 24 in transitional housing. 

Sixteen of these 111were identified as chronically homeless. There were 34 children identified in the count, representing 19 households with at least one adult with minor children. 

“The data collected during the annual Point in Time and Housing Inventory Count is a crucial tool for local agencies working to end homelessness in Champaign County,” says CSPH Chair Breaden Belcher. “This data helps the CSPH as a whole plan and coordinate effectively and ensures that the needs of the most vulnerable in our community are taken into account.”

“The Point-in-Time is an important but limited data source – it helps us understand what homelessness looks like on one night in winter,” says CSPH Coordinator Thomas Bates. “The Continuum uses this data, as well as year-round data from our Homeless Management Information System, to make recommendations and decisions.”

“Permanent housing is the only thing that ends homelessness,” said Bates. “Without Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing beds, we can’t move people on from emergency shelters. A well-oiled permanent housing project is the key to making meaningful progress in ending homelessness, not just emergency shelter inventory.”

Copyright 2022 WAND TV. All rights reserved.