Tuesday, April 20, 2004
In the aftermath of Hurricane Lili in 2002, Chicago native James Ahlers went to Louisiana to find work, but instead soon found himself homeless when he spent nearly all his earnings on lodging. "I was supposed to go back to Chicago, but I never did," Ahlers said.
James
Ahlers came to Louisiana in search of work but soon joined the ranks of
the area homeless.
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Determining the number of homeless in any part of the country can be difficult,
and even more so in rural areas such as central Louisiana where the homeless
are likely to be found in vacant outbuildings, wooded areas and even barns.
Homeless advocates have learned that homeless people often move from place to
place to find food, a roof over their head and safety - basic needs to all of
us.
Volunteers and homeless assistance providers recently began this year's effort
to find the homeless and assess their needs. HOPE House Executive Director Wanda
Ozier, in search of financial assistance, then uses those numbers as part of
a report to HUD on the cumulative homeless population in central Louisiana.
Dorothy
Thomas of the Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition speaks with a homeless
man.
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HOPE House and other area homeless providers use ServicePoint, an Internet-based
tracking and case management system to collect demographic data and report detailed
information on homeless characteristics. The goal of collecting better data
is one initiative that will help the community and others develop housing and
programs that get people off the street and into permanent housing with support
that can be maintained over time. Talking directly with the homeless, learning
their characteristics and asking about their needs is far more effective than
making assumptions often based on stereotypes and incomplete information.
According to area advocates, programs for the homeless in central Louisiana
should improve in couple important ways as a result of efforts to more effectively
count the homeless, which one recent night totaled nearly 350 in four parishes.
The very act of engaging volunteers and the community in finding and counting
area homeless has helped raise public awareness and efforts to serve them, says
Suelynne Mickey, program coordinator. As a result, they receive more calls from
churches offering assistance and more calls from people seeking help for the
homeless.
Regardless of how the homeless are counted, the coalition estimates that shelter
is available for only some 1,500 of the estimated 2,800 homeless, resulting
in a "bed gap" of nearly 1,300. And as for James Ahlers, after talking
with volunteers, he's still homeless, walking down the road in search of shelter
for the night.