Texas cities face difficulties counting their unsheltered homeless population at a time when their numbers matter most
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Nicole Aurit sits by her tent under a highway overpass in downtown Austin last month. Aurit had been working as a manager at a Supercuts before her job shut down due to COVID-19. (Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune)
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Nicole Aurit came to Austin from San Antonio expecting to live in her van, get a job and eventually find stable housing. She managed to find work as a manager at a Super Cuts, but when the pandemic hit in March, the city suddenly shut down, and she lost her job.
Nicole Aurit sits by her tent under a highway overpass in downtown Austin last month. Aurit had been working as a manager at a Supercuts before her job shut down due to COVID-19. Credit: Evan L Roy/The Texas Tribune
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Nicole Aurit came to Austin from San Antonio expecting to live in her van, get a job and eventually find stable housing. She managed to find work as a manager at a Supercuts, but when the pandemic hit in March, the city suddenly shut down, and she lost her job.
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Nicole Aurit sits by her tent under a highway overpass in downtown Austin last month. Aurit had been working as a manager at a Supercuts before her job shut down due to COVID-19.
Nicole Aurit came to Austin from San Antonio expecting to live in her van, get a job and eventually find stable housing. She managed to find work as a manager at a Super Cuts, but when the pandemic hit in March, the city suddenly shut down, and she lost her job.
That halted a search for a permanent home. And the pandemic also slowed services for people experiencing homelessness, and donations from people suddenly limiting their contact with others.
COVID-19 puts San Antonio s annual counting of the homeless population on hold
Referred to as the point-in-time court, the effort gathers data on homeless San Antonians in order to provide them with better resources. Author: Alan Kozeluh Updated: 8:20 PM CST January 26, 2021
SAN ANTONIO In a normal, non-pandemic year, January would play host to the annual point-in-time count a coordinated effort between hundreds of volunteers to gather valuable information on the local homeless population, in order to better provide a route for them to emerge out of it.
But this isn t a normal year.
“Due to COVID-19 and safety concerns, we decided to cancel the event this year,” said Katie Vela, executive director of the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH).
This is their life - COVID puts a kink in annual count of San Antonio s homeless
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Alyssa Gooch helps Kaleb Starr unload his donations. Because of COVID, the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless has cancelled its 2021 unsheltered point-in-time count. Instead, the organization is hosting a street outreach day of appreciation on TuesdayJan. 26, 2021Ronald Cortes/ContributorShow MoreShow Less
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Alyssa Gooch helps Kaleb Starr unload his donations. Because of COVID, the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless has cancelled its 2021 unsheltered point-in-time count. Instead, the organization is hosting a street outreach day of appreciation on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.Ronald Cortes/ContributorShow MoreShow Less