77 F
Cruz Bay
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsLocal governmentV.I. Continuum of Care on Homelessness Point-In-Time Survey Deemed Successful

V.I. Continuum of Care on Homelessness Point-In-Time Survey Deemed Successful

Helping the homelessThe V.I. Department of Human Services (DHS) in collaboration with many organizations successfully collected data for the 2017 VI Continuum of Care on Homelessness Point-In-Time survey on Friday, Jan. 27. On each island the project was spear-headed by different organizations: St. John Community Foundation on St. John, Methodist Training and Outreach Center on St. Thomas and Catholic Charities on St. Croix.

“I am very pleased to hear the collection of data each year on our islands proved to be successful and the accuracy of the counts are improving,” Acting Commissioner Felecia L. Blyden said. “The services that the organizations provide to the indigents from food, clothing, healthcare and legal services are very important to document in order for the services to continue.”

Combating homelessnessEvery year in January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that COC conduct a one-day count of sheltered individuals and every two years for unsheltered individuals and families as part of the national effort to end homelessness. This includes those who are sheltered in emergency shelters, transitional housing and domestic violence shelters on a single night. Each count is planned, coordinated and executed by local communities. There were more than 50 volunteers who helped gather data this year.

“We work with non-profit, faith-based organizations each year to execute this project,” Blyden said. “This team does a wonderful job in assuring the total count of the homeless is complete and the services being provided are documented well to confirm that it is warranted.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.