How many people in Orange County are homeless as of this year? And, what is being done for those who experience homelessness? These were only a few questions discussed at the Homelessness Orientation at the Seymour Center Tuesday evening.

The orientation was led by Corey Root. She’s the Homeless Programs Coordinator for Orange County. She says the purpose of the orientation is to educate community members on what programs are available to combat homelessness, and which of those programs are changing.

“There’s a staff that comes together that really tries to connect folks with resources, such that they’re not just cycling through the system over and over again. So this is super innovative and really cool.”

What Root is describing is a new system of placing those who are homeless with places they can go and programs that can help them. She says in the past, the system was made to be one-size-fits-all. And now, Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness – or OCPEH – is working on a more tailored approach to fit each person who reaches out for help.

“It’s thinking about, okay, if I were someone who is in crisis and maybe frontal lobe’s not fully functioning at this point for various reasons, what would this situation look like to me?”

Root also addressed this year’s point-in-time count. It’s an evaluation of the number of people who experience homelessness in Orange County. This year, the number dropped down to 80 people. She says this could be because OCPEH has helped almost 50 more people than last year. But, maybe not.

“Are there people here that we’re not finding? Is that one reason that the numbers are down? Are there people that were here that were part of some of those numbers but they’ve gone somewhere else?”

No matter the reason, OCPEH says they will continue working to accurately identify the number of homeless people in Orange County, and they will continue working to perfect and fund the new, personalized system of support.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Shares Homelessness Data, Resources and Strategies During Town Hall
To gauge interest and start a dialogue among residents, the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness held a town hall on Sep. 11.
'They Are Safe': How and Why Orange County Activates, Operates its Cold Weather Shelter
For the last four years, whenever winter temperatures drop to freezing, the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and other local government staff team up to provide an overnight shelter option.
In an About-Face, Liberal US Cities Target Homeless Camps
Written by SARA CLINE Makeshift shelters abut busy roadways, tent cities line sidewalks, tarps cover broken-down cars, and sleeping bags are tucked in storefront doorways. The reality of the homelessness crisis in Oregon’s largest city can’t be denied. “I would be an idiot to sit here and tell you that things are better today than […]
Man Dies Outside IFC Building as Shelter Struggles with COVID, Winter Cold
January's cold snap turned deadly last week, as a person experiencing homelessness died while sleeping outside at the IFC's building in downtown Carrboro.
Homeless Americans Finally Getting a Chance at COVID-19 Shot
Written by CARLA K. JOHNSON Homeless Americans who have been left off priority lists for coronavirus vaccinations — or even bumped aside as states shifted eligibility to older age groups — are finally getting their shots as vaccine supplies increase. While the U.S. government has only incomplete data on infections among homeless people, it’s clear that crowded, unsanitary […]
Orange County Partnership Serves Homeless Population Amid Pandemic
The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness, is working hard to provide critical resources for the homeless population amid the pandemic. The OCPEH is a coalition of service providers, local governments, and community members — a group working together towards the goal of ending homelessness in Orange County. The partnership has been around for 12 […]
Orange County Hosting Annual Project Connect Wednesday
The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness is hosting its 12th annual Project Connect on Wednesday at the Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill. Project Connect is a one-day event that connects those who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness with a wealth of services that can help them find employment, healthcare and housing. […]
Orange County Sees Increase in Homelessness for 2018
Orange County’s Point-in-Time Count of homeless citizens has released its results. The 2018 numbers show an increase, with a total of 152 people experiencing homelessness compared to 127 people reported in 2017. The study searches for the most accurate number of people either living on the streets or in a shelter any given night in […]
Orange County Project Connect to Take Place Thursday
As of the last point-in-time count earlier this year, there were 80 people without homes in Orange County. And chances are, those people need the same types of services and resources that people with homes do. That’s what coalition members with the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness were thinking when they created Project Connect. […]
Orange County Working on New System to Help Homeless
How many people in Orange County are homeless as of this year? And, what is being done for those who experience homelessness? These were only a few questions discussed at the Homelessness Orientation at the Seymour Center Tuesday evening. The orientation was led by Corey Root. She’s the Homeless Programs Coordinator for Orange County. She […]
›