LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A consortium of local organizations is planning to conduct the first comprehensive survey of the homeless in Lake County later this month.
The survey, which will take place on Friday, Jan. 25, is being carried out as as project of the Lake County Continuum of Care.
That group is composed of agencies including the Employment Development Department, Lake County Social Services, Lake County Office of Education, the Lake Family Resource Center and local churches, amongst others.
The goal is to canvass the groups’ entire service territory across Lake County and seek individuals and families who have challenges securing permanent housing.
Chris Taliaferro of the Employment Development Department, who works with veterans to find employment, said the organizations are combining their efforts for the same goal – helping the homeless.
The survey will give the organizations information they will need to apply for federal grants for such needs as housing vouchers and other services, Taliaferro said.
Gloria Flaherty, executive director of the Lake Family Resource Center, said communities are required to establish their own continuums of care to be eligible for state and federal grants. The consortium reflects countywide homeless issues and includes stakeholders.
She said Lake County is part of a larger continuum of care group composed of eight small rural counties, led by Glenn County.
Flaherty said a count was done in January 2012 of the homeless at shelters only – including the Freedom House domestic violence shelter.
Last September, another count was done in which 62 homeless individuals were identified, said Taliaferro.
The count scheduled for Jan. 25 will include the entire county, not just shelters, said Flaherty.
“This is a larger effort for us,” she said.
The homeless survey will determine what kind of funding and assistance Lake County is eligible to receive, Flaherty said.
It also will be valuable for planning purposes, helping organizations understand demographics – whether the homeless are single or in families, and if there are mental and physical health issues, Flaherty said.
Flaherty said Lake Family Resource Center staff will be involved in the process.
Taliaferro said they are continuing to seek volunteers to help with the count.
So far they have 35 volunteers, who will be divided up into groups to carry out various tasks – from going to homeless camps and recycling centers, to working at specific reporting locations which are still being determined, he said.
During the survey, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 25, volunteers will work side by side with expert homeless service providers, walking and driving assigned routes, officials reported.
Taliaferro said it will be just a collection of data; no names or specific personal information will be taken.
Community members who want to volunteer for the count can contact Taliaferro at the Employment Development Department, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-262-3111.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.