Community members have the opportunity to give most needed items
A two-week resource drive will be the COVID-19 friendly focus of the 2021 Project Homeless
Connect. At the recommendation of Clark County Public Health, Council for the Homeless has
made the difficult decision to cancel 2021 Project Homeless Connect and the unsheltered
component of the Point in Time Count.
Both events place people in direct contact with one another and the risk of COVID-19 infection for our neighbors who are homeless is too high. Communities across Washington and nationwide are implementing similar adjustments.
Meeting Most Immediate Needs
Knowing the needs of people who are houseless remain high, Council for the Homeless, in
partnership with Amerigroup, PeaceHealth, Banfield Foundation, Living Hope Church, and
partner nonprofit organizations, will facilitate a resource drive and distribution of items most
needed among those who are houseless.
The resource drive will begin Mon., Jan. 18, though Jan. 27. The list of needed
items can be found at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/project-homeless-connect/.
Items can be dropped off at Living Hope Church in front of their Live Love Center at 2711 NE
Andresen Rd, Vancouver, 98661. Drop off days and times are: Mondays Noon-2:30 p.m.,
Wednesdays Noon-2:30 p.m., and Friday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Items that are not on the list cannot
be accepted at this time.
On Thu., Jan. 28, homeless system outreach teams and groups already serving those
who are experiencing homelessness will be invited to pick-up and distribute items collected to
those they are already in contact with throughout Clark County. Items not picked up on this day
will be stored and accessible to outreach teams throughout the winter.
“People who are houseless have done an excellent job physically distancing and remaining safe, even without homes, during this challenging time. This added precaution is to protect them
while helping meet their most immediate needs during a time where accessing resources is
difficult,” said Kate Budd, executive director of Council for the Homeless.
2021 Changes for the Annual Point in Time Count
The annual Point in Time Count typically consists of counting people who are living outside
unsheltered, as well as those who are sheltered via a local program. Due to Covid-19
precautions, Council for the Homeless will conduct a Sheltered Point in Time Count only,
consisting of every person in severe weather, winter, or emergency shelter, in transitional
housing or in the SafePark Program. Each of these programs enters data into the Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS) and count numbers will be pulled from there on
January 28, 2021.
In addition, CFTH will release the 2020 Homeless System Data during the first quarter of 2021.
This report, encompassing a full year of data, is a more comprehensive count of the number of
people in Clark County who are experiencing homelessness versus the one-night Point in Time
Count. Dale Whitley, HMIS administrator with Council for the Homeless specified, “The 2020
Annual Data Report will account for nearly every person who touches our local homeless
system, from outreach, to meal programs and the Housing Hotline. It shows their self-identified
needs and how well we as a community were able to meet those need. It’s an important report
as our community continues to work together to address homelessness.”
Council for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization that provides community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County.
