NEWS Homeless Street Count Up 20 Percent in Region   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:  Kelly Taft Communications Manager (602) 452-5020 Homeless Street Count Up 20 Percent in Region PHOENIX (March 19, 2009) – Nearly 3,000 people can be found living on the streets of Maricopa County, an increase of 20 percent from the year before, according to a recent street count of homeless people conducted on January 27, 2009.  The point-in-time Homeless Street Count was conducted by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) with volunteer Street Count Coordinators in the region. The group counted a total of 2,918 homeless people living on the streets in Maricopa County. The count is part of a national effort to identify the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. There was a significant increase in the number of homeless families over the past year, which jumped from 49 people in families in 2008 to 230 people in families in 2009, an increase of 370 percent. Another disturbing trend was the increase in the number of youth on their own, which grew from only 40 in 2008 to 139 in 2009. Many agencies serving homeless and low income people report a large increase in people seeking assistance who have never needed help before, due to the downturn in the economy. The homeless street count is a snapshot of the number of people sleeping on the streets and does not incorporate the number of people in shelters (4,793 in 2008—2009 numbers are pending). “The shelters in downtown Phoenix are serving more than 800 people a night and are still turning people away. Phoenix is not alone in this experience; increases in homelessness were seen throughout the region,” said MAG Regional Council Chair Peggy Neely, a councilwoman from the city of Phoenix. “During this difficult economic time, we must continue to work to end homelessness and ensure that people have a place to call home,” she added. The table below provides a snapshot of the total number of people experiencing homelessness during the point-in-time count in the region. Attached is additional information about the number of people counted in each municipality. 2009 Homeless Street Count Results   2009 2008 Percent Change (+/-) Street Count Total 2,918 2,426 +20 percent Adults 2,698 2,368 +14 percent Children (under the age of 18) 220 58 +280 percent Non-Chronic Individuals 1,925 1,513 +27 percent Chronic Individuals 624 824 -24 percent Families 37 10 +270 percent People in Families 230 49 +370 percent Youth on Their Own 139 40 +248 percent For additional information or questions about the 2009 Homeless Street Count, please contact Brande Mead, Human Services Planner III, at (602) 452-5060. For a printable document of the 2009 Homeless Street Count and Municipal Summaries, click here. # # #