Volunteers, Professionals Continue Homeless Count To Gain Federal Aid

By Holliday Moore
Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 5:40pm

As we awoke to freezing temperatures across the state, volunteers in Tucson continue to count the homeless.

The numbers still need to be tallied and validated before they're submitted for federal aid. But Anne Scott with the Maricopa Association of Governments went out with more than 300 volunteers and professionals.

“Police officers, city officials, church groups, around the entire region to count the unsheltered homeless to get an idea of what their needs are and who they are.” Scott said.

Her group went to a central Phoenix area, and, "we interviewed approximately 30 people in that area, we saw a number of vets,” Scott said.

She said those vets were connected to immediate services. Comparing homeless trends to other states with mild climates, she says we've avoided the population explosion, thanks to local coordination.

“We’re continuing to get additional resources from HUD and the federal government, but we also have the city, the county, the state of Arizona have put a tremendous amount of resources toward funding and services,” she said.

Of course, Scott says, they always need more funds. That's what volunteers hope to prove with this week's homeless numbers once they're validated.