Multnomah County seeks to delay counting homeless for a year, citing coronavirus risks
Updated Jan 08, 2021;
Posted Jan 07, 2021
A homeless camp managed by the City of Portland along SE Water Avenue Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. Mark Graves/Staff
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The federally required count of homeless people in the Portland area, conducted as part of a uniform national count every two years, will likely be delayed for a year, due to officials’ worries about coronavirus risks to survey-takers.
Although the number of people living on the streets appears to be increasing in Portland and the rest of Multnomah County, the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services has asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval not to count or survey homeless people living outside shelters.
Unsheltered homeless count could be delayed January 05 2021
The Portland-Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services has asked the federal government to postpone some of the two-year tally.
The federally-required count of homeless people in the Portland area could be less complete this year than in the past.
Although the number of people living on the streets appears to be increasing in Portland and the rest of Multnomah County, the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services has asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval to not physically survey those living outside of shelters.
The reason is because of the COVID-19 pandemic that JOHS said makes it too dangerous for those conducting the count, which takes place every two years in the county. The last one was conducted in early 2019.
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Murmurs: Homeless Will Go Countless In other news: Pot shop woes continue. On the streets of Portland s Old Town. (Brian Burk) Updated January 6
HOMELESS WILL GO COUNTLESS: The Joint Office of Homeless Services is seeking a waiver for the biennial point in time count, which takes place every odd-numbered year in late January. That process, in which Multnomah County takes a one-night census of all the houseless people it can find in the county, is part of a federal effort overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The count is a key component to ensure continued eligibility for state and federal funding for homeless programs, but late last year, the feds said counties could seek waivers due to the pandemic without endangering funding. The feds have already granted King County, Wash.
Multnomah County Seeking Federal Waiver to Delay Biennial Census of Homeless Population wweek.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wweek.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.