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Walworth County homeless count July 25-26

WALWORTH COUNTY — Walworth County Continuum of Care will hold its biannual Point in Time count of the homeless population beginning at 8 a.m. July 25 through 8 a.m. July 26.

A team of volunteers will conduct a census, which is intended to include people who are living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, domestic violence shelters or are unsheltered and living on the streets or any other place not meant for human habitation.

Communities across the nation utilizing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for homeless and housing programs are required to conduct counts every January and July.

Walworth County continues to experience problems with homelessness. Of the 117 homeless individuals in Walworth, nearly one-third are unsheltered, sleeping in cars or on park benches. Of those living without shelter of any kind, nearly all belong to families with dependent children.

Providers in Walworth County experience a constant demand for their services.

-- The Walworth County Housing Authority currently has a three-year wait list for Section 8 Housing, turning away an average of 65 households per month.

-- The Association for the Prevention of Family Violence has a waiting list of five families for its transitional housing.

-- Twin Oaks Shelter for the Homeless turned away 215 households needing emergency shelter during 2011 because it was full. Shelter requests at Twin Oaks are roughly 165 percent higher than its averaged annual capacity of 130 people.

Community Action Inc. operates a broad spectrum of community programs aimed at preventing and reducing poverty in Rock and Walworth counties. It operates the Fresh Start program, offers child care, at-risk youth programming, teen parent support, women’s health care, senior benefits counseling, home ownership programs, affordable housing units, home weatherization and rehab, assistance in dealing with a housing crisis, food for area pantries and shelter for the homeless.

For more information, contact J. Marc Perry at (608) 755-2279 or mperry@community-action.org or go online to www.community-action.org.