The annual Point In Time homeless count in the City of Yakima and throughout Yakima County will take place from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25th.
“The public’s participation is needed because an accurate count is vital to make sure sufficient services are available for the homeless in our community,” Yakima Mayor Kathy Coffey said.
The four Homeless Census Hubs in the City of Yakima will be Union Gospel Mission, 1300 North 1st Street; Rod’s House, 204 S. Naches Avenue; The Depot (Yakima Neighborhood Health Services), 602 E. Yakima Avenue; and Transform Yakima Together, 1702 Englewood Avenue.
“Having these groups as hubs is important,” said Crystal Testerman, Homeless Program Manager for Yakima Valley Conference of Governments (YVCOG). “It’s really great to have their collaboration.”
Volunteers can sign up on-line to assist the homeless census at https://icount.us/campaign/yakima and the site is also an option for homeless participating in the count. Those who complete a homeless census survey will receive a free sleeping bag.
“This one-day count allows our community to collect important information about the state of homelessness in the City of Yakima and Yakima County,” Testerman said. “It supports our social service agencies working with our homeless neighbors in securing federal, state, and local funding.”
This year YVCOG is working with a consulting firm, ACR Business Consulting, to assist the homeless count effort.
Contact Testerman at 424-4695 for more information.