The Broward Continuum of Care Homeless Count Committee, a partnership among nonprofit social service agencies, faith-based organizations, and government agencies in Broward County, is scheduled to launch the 2012 Sheltered Homeless Point-In-Time Count on January 27.

The point-in time count will survey every homeless person in Broward County residing in an emergency shelter, transitional housing or a safe haven on the morning of January 27, says Broward County Homeless Initiative administrator, Michael R. Wright, MPA.

Results from the count is hoped to create a clearer picture of the state of homelessness in Broward county, so the county's Continuum of Care can pinpoint the specific needs of this growing group and build more efficient services.

New data is also needed for the county's push to get more needed funding from federal and state grants to help the homeless, particularly as the country faces a wave of returning military veterans, a group historically vulnerable to homelessness. Other groups of concern include unaccompanied children and youth, chronically homeless individuals and families, and persons with HIV/Aids.

Broward's Homeless Continuum of Care is comprised of more than 100 agencies, including nonprofit, philanthropic, governmental, for-profit, education, faith-based groups dedicated to addressing homelessness by improving permanent housing options through a comprehensive, community-based, homeless continuum of care.

In the meantime the Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership already has received $9.5 million in project grants to fund 18 local projects from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For the January 2011 Point-in-Time Count, the survey of Broward County reported an 18 percent rise in the county's homeless population. Since that time, the County has actively sought to maintain and secure resources to address this growing need.

2011 HUD Homeless Continuum of Care awards

HUD also recently announced the 2011 HUD Homeless Continuum of Care awards, including more than $1.47 billion in awards for the Homeless Continuum of Care Program nationwide.

The HUD grants are geared towards funding supportive services, transitional, permanent supportive housing through HUD's Permanent Supportive Housing and Shelter Plus Care Programs and to help fulfill goals set out in the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. This plan was initially approved by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners in December 2005, and has since been endorsed by nine cities, United Way of Broward, Coordinating Council of Broward, Florida Department of Children and Families, businesses and others.

Of the 18 HUD awards, 12 permanent housing projects fund 665 beds and five transitional housing projects fund 428 beds. Most importantly, this funding will create 23 new permanent beds. The project funds health screening supportive services for 200 homeless individuals and families in emergency shelter beds.

These programs will serve homeless adult and youth clients, including individuals, families and veterans, people with mental, emotional, physical disabilities and substance abuse disorders, mothers with children, pregnant women and those who are "chronically" homeless with co-occurring disorders.