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KREM
The Center Square
WRAL - Raleigh, North Carolina
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KREM
SPOKANE, Wash. — The annual Point-in-Time Count is officially underway.
More than 40 volunteers gathered to count the homeless population in Spokane County.
The city of Spokane holds the Point-in-Time Count every year to paint an accurate picture of Spokane's homeless population. The count uses a geographical informational systems map that shows locations with high homeless populations.
Volunteers rely on the map so they can carry out the count in an efficient manner.
"Once we got out into it, it became really fun. It's fun hearing from people and knowing their stories and being able to talk to them and seeing them as human," Kinsey Dewan, a WSU senior nursing student, said.
It's part of the WSU nursing curriculum to take part in the count.
"It brightens everyone's perspectives on kind of what they're dealing with and why they're in this position. I think there's a lot of stigma of why there's people living on the streets," Dewan said.
The Point-in Time Count first began in 2009 as a way to generate homeless services funds. Now, it helps the city learn more about who's homeless, why they're homeless and what barriers they face.
Daniel Ramos, one of the organizers, says the first couple days could not have gone any better.
"It was a go team moment. People took incentive, they were handing out gloves, bus passes all morning," Ramos said. "And surveys are coming through, so really encouraged right now."
And for volunteers like Lori Brookes, she hopes the count changes the narrative of how people perceive the homeless.
"It's huge, it impacts everybody. People's attitudes, how people feel about it, about how we go about getting along in our communities," Brookes said.
The Point-in-Time Count will continue through Sunday and survey the entire county.
Organizers expect a total of 170 volunteers to take part over the six-day event.
In 2017, there were 1,090 people experiencing homelessness in the Spokane community.
That jumped to 1,245 in 2018. It only grew by 64 people in 2019 and shot up to 314 in 2020. However, in 2021, due to the pandemic, only people in shelters were accounted for, which is why the number dropped to 992.
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The Center Square
A King County Metro bus driver wipes down a handrail before stepping onto a bus Monday, May 11, 2020, in Seattle. The coronavirus pandemic has plunged Puget Sound-area transit agencies into crisis-planning mode, as ridership and revenue has plunged and predictions that people will not be returning to buses and trains in large numbers anytime soon.
Elaine Thompson / AP photo
(The Center Square) – The Seattle Department of Transportation and the Seattle Housing Authority are partnering to provide free mass transit for more than 10,000 residents in low income housing.
“Our vision for a vibrant Seattle is dependent on a sustainable transportation system where neighbors can get where they need to go swiftly, reliably, and affordably,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell in a statement. “The SHA Transit Pass equitably expands access to opportunity and helps us meet our sustainability goals through a simple – and proven – premise: Given increased access to free and affordable transit, neighbors will take advantage."
The program consists of fully subsidized ORCA cards, funded by the Seattle Transit Measure.
The program entitles every person who is over 18 years of age, a SHA resident, and listed on the lease of an SHA property to one of the fully subsidized ORCA transit cards. In Seattle, anyone 18 or younger is already entitled to free use of transit.
“The free ORCA passes represent a tremendous improvement in safety, access to basic services, ability to get to jobs and overall quality of life for our residents,” said SHA Executive Director Rod Brandon in a statement.
The Seattle Transit Measure, approved by voters in November of 2020, consists of a 0.15% sales tax and is expected to raise $39 million each year over the course of its six year run for a total of $234 million.
The subsidized ORCA cards benefit expire on Dec. 31, 2026.
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WRAL - Raleigh, North Carolina
Posted 4:35 p.m. Jan 17 — Updated 4:39 p.m. Jan 17
By Cullen Browder, WRAL investigative reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — In March, WRAL News wrote about a proactive team created by the Raleigh Police Department that shifted focus away from handcuffs, tasers and arrests. The ACORNS unit would instead send social workers alongside officers to handle many calls with underlying issues like homelessness and mental illness.
This type of community policing grew out of the calls to defund police. Instead, cities like Raleigh shifted funding for a kinder, gentler strategy.
On Tuesday, Raleigh Police updated City Council on their efforts to put a more human face on some crisis interactions.
"ACORNS actually sees people," says leader Lt. Renae Lockhart. "We are all passionate about what we do, and we are making sure that we're seeing the people behind the homelessness, behind the mental health concerns and substance abuse issues."
ACORNS, which stands for Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service combines five police officers with three social workers to deal with calls that deserve intervention over enforcement.
Since August of 2021, Lockhart said the unit has handled 1,035 calls. They also linked 546 people in crisis to much-needed resources for mental health services, food, family connections and housing.
All easier said than done.
"There is almost no affordable housing in the City of Raleigh, so those vouchers are being recycled back to Raleigh Housing Authority and so those people are still finding themselves experiencing homelessness," said Chelsea Levy, a social worker with ACORNS.
The unit needs more help, so this year's budget includes $800,000 in additional funding for more social workers and officers. This way they can continue replacing punishment, where appropriate, with a helping hand.
"The rapport, the respect, what you've built in the community and I've since seen your interaction with others: It's amazing," said Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
Instead of making arrests, officers talked about examples of helping a person track down his birth certificate in Europe, so he could get proper ID to get benefits. They told stories of simply transporting a person to get his medication.
Council members praised the program and made it clear, they want it to grow and do more.
You can learn more on the ACORNS website.