When homelessness hits home

Kenosha agency releases biannual homeless count

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

In its biannual Point In Time homeless count, Kenosha Human Development Services reportedly identified 190 people, the lowest since 2013 when it was 185.

The count, which occurs every January and July, had 22 volunteers searching all of Kenosha County, including communities west of Interstate 94.

Overall, the count is broken down into four categories – homeless (unsheltered), emergency shelter, transitional housing and rapid rehousing – and includes both individuals and families.

This year, individually, there were 22 unsheltered, 23 residing in emergency shelters, 31 in transitional housing and two in rapid rehousing.

For families, there were 24 total in emergency shelters, 80 in transitional housing and eight in rapid rehousing.

In last year’s Point In Time assessment, there were 208 people, up from 201 in 2014.

According to Sharon Pomaville, Director of the Sharing Center in Trevor, her crew in Western Kenosha County found just one person.

“I am grateful that we didn’t find many people, because I am hoping that people are well housed,” Pomaville said.

There are several variables to the count, including weather and the volunteers patrolling western communities.

The weather for this year’s winter count was foggy with reported temperatures in the upper 30s, according to the National Weather Service, but was shortly after a cold snap with near zero-degree temperatures.

“When it is super cold, people often pull together their last resources, because the weather is so bad,” Pomaville said.

Rebecca Pritzl, PATH Outreach Worker for Kenosha Human Development Services, noted homeless numbers rise in the July count. For 2015, that was illustrated in a jump from 208 in January to 220 in July.

“We do tend to find more unsheltered individuals during the summer months,” Pritzl said. “Individuals unsheltered on streets and emergency shelters tend to be over 25 years of age.”

Pomaville was one of two volunteers who searched all Western Kenosha County communities, which requires reaching out to local organizations including fire departments, schools and social workers.

“To cover 200 square miles is kind of difficult in the middle of the night, so we do get a lot of information about where people are,” she said.

Additionally, there are behavioral variables, Pomaville said, citing some homeless people often become startled when approached and scared away when noticed.

To ensure confidentiality in the Point In Time count, volunteers never ask for names, instead asking basic questions – how long they have been homeless, how many times they have been homeless, and what needs do they have.

“The reason is because it is a big area up here and it would be best for me to scout out the areas for possible people,” Pomaville said. “Instead of sending 20 volunteers out in the middle of the night, trying to find anything or maybe scaring people.”

Rural communities discourage homeless people, and often send them to the larger pool of resources within city limits, including homeless shelters.

“Accessing the services is easier for individuals if they are actually staying within the city,” Pritzl said.

KHDS reports there are no homeless shelters west of I-94, with the Sharing Center as the only referrer to community service providers.

“What I have noticed is that when families come in (to the Sharing Center), it is usually very temporary,” Pomaville said. “Because out here, it is harder to be homeless, because there are less resources and less tolerance for it.”

There are some cases where people west of I-94 seek services within the City of Kenosha, Pritzl said, noting most referrals come from the Sharing Center.

“The majority of county individuals seeking services come from someone in a social work or Sharing Center doing a referral,” Pritzl said. “People in the city have a better understanding and it is easier for them to directly access services.”

Numbers are deceiving, Pritzl and Pomaville said, stating homeless families often find temporary housing with other families in western county communities.

In the city, most homeless people “couch surf,” according to Pritzl.

“Many teens, 18 to 21, are not found on streets but doubling up with others or couch surfing,” she said.

This temporary housing setting does not qualify as homeless under Housing and Urban Development standards.

However, Pomaville said families actively seeking resources often find stability within a few months.

“From the people I have worked with, most of them within a few months find stable housing and get better,” she said.


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