By Cecilia Chan
Independent Newsmedia

More men and women are living on the streets in Glendale than in the prior year, Maricopa Association of Governments reported.

The 2017 annual homeless Point-in-Time count found 57 people in the city, according to data released this month. The event took place Jan. 24 with volunteers counting and interviewing the homeless.

“The number of homeless is probably more than that,” said Charyn Eirich-Palmisano, city Community Revtialization administrator, who did not want to speculate how many more homeless people are in Glendale but added volunteers did count a “good portion” of that population.

Renee Ayers-Benavidez, Revitaliztion Grants supervisor, attributed the higher number to overall population growth in Glendale and a better job of counting. For instance police officers, who have built relationships with homeless individuals, helped do the count.

Nonetheless the numbers have been creeping up for the city since 2015.

Glendale has taken note of that and its City Council in August adopted a strategy to deal with it. Some of the strategies include finding funds for a dedicated homeless liaison, forming partnerships and improving data collection. Staff anticipates a return to Council in August with an update of the progress.

Ms. Eirich-Palmisano said the city has since partnered with several nonprofits such as Phoenix Rescue Mission, U.S. Vets and A New Leaf.



The city also has 155 public housing units at three locations and 1,054 housing vouchers for those of very low income.

Most of the homeless were counted in the city’s southern area. Volunteers were able to interview 47 of the people they came upon. They were single adults, roughly half were males and half females, according to the data. There were no homeless veterans found in the count, but city officials say they know they are in the city.

Of the 47, 33 percent indicated drugs or alcohol was a contributing factor in being homeless; 17 percent said they had been on the streets for a year; 13 percent for two years and 13 percent for three years, according to Ms. Ayers-Benavidez.

Data also showed that 77 percent indicated this was not their first time being homeless; 43 percent indicated some form of mental illness and 15 percent were survivors of mental and physical abuse.

Ninety percent were over the age of 25 and four people were between the ages of 18 and 24.

Ms. Ayers-Benavidez said Glendale is doing a better job of addressing the chronic homeless population, yet she acknowledged the city will never get it to zero.

She said Glendale is working with other cities to see what works there with the homeless and maybe bring the concept here.

Overall, the region’s 2017 head count tells two stories: a slight reduction in the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in the region, but an increase in the number of individuals and families living on the streets, according to MAG’s Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care Committee.

There were 5,605 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 23, which represents a 2 percent decrease from the region’s 2016 number of 5,702 people experiencing homeless on the night of the count, according to a news release.

While the overall numbers went down, the report showed the number of homeless individuals and families living on the street went up by more than 400 people. In 2017, 2,059 people were living in “unsheltered” situations, whereas in 2016, the number was 1,646 people.

There could be several reasons for the increase in street homelessness.

“Maricopa County is the fastest-growing county in the nation, so we have an overall increase in population,” said Kevin Hartke, co-chair of the Continuum of Care Board and Chandler vice mayor. “We also are seeing an insufficient supply of affordable housing available in the region.”

He noted the methodology also was improved for the count with cities using additional professional outreach workers to count in areas where there have been high concentrations of homeless persons.

“Because outreach workers already have relationships with people on the street, more surveys were completed this year,” he said in the release.

The annual point-in-time homeless count is part of a national effort to identify the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

The purpose of the count is to provide a one-night snapshot of the number of people who are homeless.

“Overall trends show that the region is holding steady,” said Amy Schwabenlender, Valley of the Sun United Way and co-chair of the Continuum of Care Board. “While the overall number will fluctuate from year to year, generally the region’s numbers are between 5,600 and 6,000. Homelessness remains a complex and challenging issue, and the Board believes the problem is solvable. It will take commitment and resources, and ending homelessness remains our top priority.”

Both co-chairs say the best way for the private sector to help address the problem is to support agencies that provide housing solutions. This can include monetary donations to assist with providing affordable housing for those in need, or donations of water, toiletries, school supplies, diapers, and other essential living needs.

For additional information on the Point in Time Homeless Street Count, contact Anne Scott, MAG Continuum of Care staff, at ascott@azmag.gov.

 

Glendale homeless count
2013 – 16
2014 — 39
2015 — 25
2016 — 44
2017 — 57
Source: Maricopa Association of Governments