TEMPLE, Texas — This year, Jan. 25 is the country’s only official count of people experiencing homelessness on a single day, it's called the Point In Time count. It helps the community plan services to appropriately address local needs and track progress. PIT provides insight to cities regarding what gaps need to be filled to help attract resources to eradicate homelessness.
- Volunteers from the Temple community gave out bags with blankets, and toiletries to the homeless as they surveyed them with questions regarding their living situation.
- A board member with the homeless coalition said one reason why homelessness has increased is because of a lack of affordable housing.
- In 2022 the numbers for Bell County showed 320 people were unhoused and in 2023 that number increased to 372 people.
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
“Where did you sleep last night?" 25 News reporter, Dominique Leh asked.
"In a car."
“We’ve been sleeping under bridges, in shelters, outside.”
Those are the answers to one of the questions volunteers with the point in time count are asking those without a home.
“Is this the first time that you’ve been unhoused?"
"I’ve been homeless since 2009.”
Terris Goodwin has lived in Temple her whole life, and she noticed a recent jump in the amount encampments.
“We drive down the street and we see these people, these humans, our fellow humans, who are experiencing homelessness and you know we’re in our situations living our lives, and their living theirs in this other way,” Goodwin said.
In 2022, the numbers for Bell County showed 320 people were unhoused, and in 2023 that number increased to 372 people.
“We’re seeing a lot more movement in this I-35 corridor between Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Belton,” said Board Member with the Central Texas Homeless Coalition, George Lasoya.
Lasoya believes one of the causes more people are living on the streets is a lack of affordable housing.
“There are some that have substance issues, and behavioral health issues, but a lot of people are being displaces because housing is not affordable," he said.
"With a person working $15 an hour, he is going to have a hard time — struggling to make rental payments and to eat for and to pay for other costs for the car, or insurance and other things they need to survive."
This yearly count provides insight to cities regarding what gaps need to be filled to help serve the homeless population.
“This is an issue we’re experiencing and trying to figure out, but these people are not an issue," Goodwin said.
"We just need to figure out how to get in front of this — ways that we can help empower them, you know, to move past this phase in their life."
Volunteers handed out bags with blankets socks, and toiletries as they asked questions — the numbers for 2024 will not be released for a few months. 2023 numbers can be found here.
Lasoya said the City of Temple and the City of Killen are each working on building a shelter where people can spend the night inside instead of on the streets.
