Homelessness Down Despite Pandemic: Bucks County

Doylestown PA

29 April, 2021

6:03 PM

Description

DOYLESTOWN, PA —Despite a struggling economy and an unemployment spike, Bucks County reported Tuesday that homelessness in the county actually went down, according to some measures, during the coronavirus pandemic. The decline was even sharper from 2019 to 2021. In a release, the county revealed the results of annual Point in Time (PIT) Count, a federally-mandated annual measurement of sheltered and unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness during a single night in January. The count is compiled by the Bucks County Department of Housing and Community Development and reported to the U.S. Department of Housing Development (HUD). The data, taken this past Jan. 27, identified 288 people in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels/motels or outdoors in Bucks County. A total of 37 of these people were sleeping in Code Blue temporary shelters for the night, 23 were sleeping outdoors or other places not meant for human habitation and 228 were sleeping in emergency shelters, transitional housing units or hotels/motels paid for by charitable organizations. These numbers represented a 13.5-percent decrease in overall homelessness since the 2020 study, and a 23-percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness from the previous year. The 2021 numbers also showed a 20-percent decrease in overall homelessness from 2019, and a 32-percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness from two years earlier. These figures were recorded despite recent HUD data indicating homelessness increased by 2.2 percent from 2019 to 2020. "Bucks County prioritizes the housing stability of all our residents, especially the most vulnerable," said Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, chair of the Bucks County Commissioners. "The decrease in homelessness, even during a generational crisis, is a testament to the hard work of all our community partners coming together to serve this vital need." This reduction in homelessness during the pandemic, according to Bucks County, is the result of a swift the response in action and funding from community non-profits, Bucks County leadership, the federal government and homelessness services. Another factor, was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declaring a moratorium on evictions. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the homeless-response system mobilized in many ways, including: The utilization of hotels to increase shelter beds.Large-scale expansion of rapid rehousing programs.Financial support to partner organizations to assist homeless people with obtaining meals, hotel rooms, personal protective equipment and additional supplies. Financial support to faith-based Code Blue organizations to operate seasonal cold weather shelters.The creation of additional Housing Locator positions to help homeless families locate safe and affordable housing.Additional staffing for the Bucks County Housing Link helpline to respond to the housing crisis.The expansion of eviction-protection efforts. Increased funding for creative solutions to assist families move into stable housing. "The pandemic has been so challenging for those in a housing crisis," said Jeffrey Fields, director of the Bucks County Department of Housing and Community Development. "I am incredibly grateful to the Housing Link partners for doubling down on their work to address homelessness by expanding staffing and programs during the pandemic." Fields continued: "But the work of ending homelessness is a community-wide effort. Low vacancy rates are challenging our system to find housing options for our clients. I encourage all landlords to join us so we can continue to decrease homelessness in the county." Landlords interested in learning more about ways to partner with Bucks County Housing Link can visit the organization online at BucksHousingLink.org/landlords.