The Nevada County Regional Continuum of Care (NCRCoCC), in coordination with Nevada County and the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras (HRCS), announced Nevada County’s annual point-in-time count of homeless individuals and families will take place on February 24, 2022.
Point-in-time (PIT) counts are required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive federal funding to address homelessness. Since 2017, the State has also moved to allocate homelessness and housing funding based on local PIT count numbers. It is vitally important that everyone experiencing homelessness in Nevada County is counted and that information about their specific needs is collected to effectively utilize incoming funding to address service and housing needs for vulnerable residents of the County.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communities and Continuums of Care (CoC) organizations across California canceled PIT counts in 2021, making this the first full sheltered and unsheltered count in the region since 2019. “The pandemic meant that we couldn’t host events and bring people to one location to conduct surveys,” says Brendan Phillips, Housing Resource Manage for Nevada County. “HUD recognized that COVID presented significant health and safety concerns for both people experiencing homeless and staff at service organizations, so most everyone in the state opted to accept a HUD waiver for the 2021 count.”
The County and the CoC are looking forward to coordinating annual counts and are working closely with all partners to ensure a safe and comprehensive count for 2022. Results will be posted to BetterTogetherNevadaCounty.org once available.
Do you know someone who is experiencing homelessness? Contact the HOME Team by calling (530) 470-2686 or email home@co.nevada.ca.us. In Eastern Nevada County, contact North Tahoe Truckee Homeless Services by calling (530) 386-7954.
To learn more about The Nevada County Plan to Address Homelessness, including volunteer opportunities, visit BetterTogetherNevadaCounty.org.