The homeless population is declining across several Central Texas counties per survey results from the Central Texas Homeless Coalition.
The point-in-time count was conducted in January and the results showed that the homeless population in Bell, Coryell and Lampasas Counties has dropped by nearly 200 people.
In 2017, the point-in-time count revealed that the homeless population in several Central Texas counties was more than 500 people. That number has since dropped to 325.
"It's important to build a relationship just to get to know them in order to understand what they're going through, their situation, and then try to figure out how to get them housing, get them off the streets and get them into homes," Amanda Tindell, Chair for the Central Texas Homeless Coalition, said.
The Central Texas Homeless Coalition hit the streets once a year to get a screenshot of what the current homeless population looks like and who all needs their help.
"We're asking them where they sleep most often, where they slept the night before the interview, how long they've experienced homelessness, their age, if they have any physical disabilities, mental health concerns, if they're a previous war veteran," Felicia Burden, Media Officer for the Central Texas Homeless Coalition, said.
Those stats help the many organizations that work under the Central Texas Homeless Coalition have a better idea of how and where they can better serve the homeless.
"We have an understanding of how many people are in need of healthcare insurance, and it also allows us to know the people that really need the navigation to be able to understand and know how to apply for the community services," Ebony Jackson with Bell County Indigent Health Care said.
And while the coalition is glad the numbers have dropped, they know they still have a lot of work left to do.
"We have a lot of great stories that come out of the collaborations that we have with various agencies, so it's worth it," Tindell said.
The Central Texas Homeless Coalition is already preparing for next year's count, so they can cover more areas of Central Texas to get a better picture of who they are working to help.
The results of the point-in-time count:
Total Persons: 325
Adults (18+): 241
Children (Under 18): 81
Unknown Age: 3
Young Adults (18-24): 26
Female: 161
Male: 152
Chronically Homeless: 18
Veterans: 32
If you would like more information on the point-in-time count or how you can help collect data next year, click here.
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