Regional Task Force on the Homeless Releases Regional Homeless Profile 2010 and Catalyzes Discussion on Homeless Trends:
8.6% increase in County Homelessness and additional regional homeless trends discussed
San Diego, CA – The Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH) released it’s annual Regional Homeless Profile on Tuesday, October 26. Homeless Service Providers, local media, and regional leaders gathered to discuss a spectrum homeless topics and the impact of ongoing solutions.
RTFH has compiled a report on regional homelessness since its inception in 1984. This year’s numbers highlighted a daunting 8.6% increase in County Homelessness since 2009. Specific demographics with a significant rise include young and female veterans, the elderly population, and families. This report and subsequent research initiatives allow the continuum to prioritize funds to match the region’s need.
“There are many more people in need than there are services available,” stated Peter Callstrom during the opening. “Out of those on the street 37% are at least 50 years old and 24% are chronically homeless. The reality is that more people are at risk and the collective safety net has not prevented homelessness for all”.
Cissy Fisher, the Vice President of the San Diego Housing Commission, highlighted regional efforts underway.
“We have in our toolkit the resources to address the needs of 75 homeless veterans in San Diego as identified by Downtown Registry Week”, Cissy stated, “San Diego has been selected as one out of five pilots to implement a new program for recently returning veterans”.
“It’s been proven it costs more to do nothing than do invest in our homeless community”, asserted Patricia Leslie, community leader on homelessness and Regional Continuum of Care Council Chair. “Our community is so innovative that there’s no shelter system quite like us across the nation.”
Rene Santiago, Deputy Director of the Health and Human Services Agency, addressed the County’s commitment to affordable housing and continued investment in services.
After the speaker’s presentations, media representatives asked questions covering the future of Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP), the fie year campaign to end Veteran Homelessness in North County, and the limitations of collecting information on and subsequently aiding homeless children.
The full report is now available online for download – go here.
About The Regional Task Force on the Homeless (www.rtfhsd.org):
The RTFH supports and empowers San Diego County’s homeless service providers. On a daily basis, the RTFH manages a countywide Homeless Information System (HMIS) that is used by dozens of local service providers who run 300+ distinct programs. The HMIS is used to support case management, to track persons served, to refer individuals and families to critical resources, to gather key demographic data, and to understand trends. The RTFH conducts the annual ‘Point-In-Time’ (PIT) count of persons who are homeless. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the PIT provides our region with a better understanding of the scope of homelessness. Working together, we can better understand homelessness, develop best practices, and find sustainable solutions.
CONTACT: Peter Callstrom, Executive Director, 858-292-1392; peter.callstrom@rtfhsd.org
http://rtfhsd.org/
http://www.facebook.com/RTFHSD
http://twitter.com/RTFHSD
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And one can bet that they are all in OB, if you count the travelers.