Carbon County’s annual “Unsheltered Homeless” Point-in-Time count took place on Feb. 23.

This count is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development each year through its local Continuums of Care in an effort to:

• Measure and monitor trends and changes in homelessness on local and national levels.

• Help communities (including states) understand what resources are needed and strategize the best ways to use them to end homelessness.

The Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services has been organizing this count in the county for years; and once again, has teamed up with various members of the Carbon County Homelessness Task Force in this year’s effort including: Family Promise of Carbon County, St. Vincent De Paul Society for the Panther Valley, Peaceful Knights, B.K.K. Outreach and Step Up, Catholic Charities, the Catholic Worker Program, Carbon County Office on Aging’s Share Program, and the Carbon County Veterans Affair Office.

Representatives from these agencies and other volunteers canvassed local communities to identify those who are homeless the evening of the count to gather information about them and offer care packages including toiletries, gloves, hats, socks, snacks, as well as other valuable tools and information regarding available services.

A handful of warm sites were also open for homeless individuals to visit, share information about their circumstances, and receive similar care packages, tools and information on available services. These sites include: 1. the Carbon County Action Committee in Lehighton; 2. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Beaver Meadows; and 3. St. Peter’s Church in Weissport.

CCACHS has also shared details concerning this count with local police departments, area service providers, local food pantries, and area school districts for their assistance in surveying any homeless individuals or families they may have had personal contact with the evening of the count or the next morning that slept in a place not meant for human habitation.

All completed surveys should have been returned to the “Action Committee” for review and removal of any duplication prior to being forwarded to the Eastern PA Continuum of Care by March 11.

The CoC will further review and assess surveys for final inclusion in the count data it must forward to HUD by the end of April. County level PIT reports are generally available for distribution in May.