Count To Assess Region’s Homelessness Issue

Homeless Advocacy for Rural Tennessee will be performing its point-in-time homeless count Tuesday.

Overton County Point-In-Time Count Captain Connie Garrett said HART helps 18 counties across the Upper Cumberland understand the depth of the homelessness problem. Garrett said HART performs count once every year as requested by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“If HUD sees that you have zero homeless people then they are not going to send them extra money next year,” Garrett said. “But if they had an influx of homeless and you are reporting accurate numbers that there’s 50 to 100 homeless people well they are going to send those extra funds to them to help them.”

Garrett said the count is done through shelter counts and also by reaching out to those on the streets. Garrett said this year’s count results are expected to be different as the number of homeless is spreading beyond Cumberland and Putnam Counties.

“There’s been an influx in Fentress and also Pickett County,” Garrett said. “Pickett has never reported any numbers and they’ve got people this year. We’ve got a lot more people involved and there is a lot of people working in all of these smaller counties this year that we have brought on board with HART. I don’t know if having more boots on the ground has done that.”

Garrett said HART is not only counting homeless people but is also partnering with Power of Putnam and UCHRA to provide backpacks with items like toboggans, gloves, food, and water to those in need.