Annual count finds 11 percent fewer homeless Wichitans

There are about 11 percent fewer homeless people in Wichita in 2015 than there were in 2014, according to totals released Tuesday from the annual point-in-time count in January.

According to the count, an estimated 561 people in Wichita were “literally” homeless – meaning the person lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. That number includes people in emergency shelters and transitional housing, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In 2014, 631 people were counted as homeless in Wichita.

Pat Hanrahan, president and CEO of United Way of the Plains, said the decrease can be attributed to increased cooperation between local agencies that serve the homeless.

“That’s paying off, I think, in terms of being more efficient in meeting the needs of the homeless,” he said.

Hanrahan also attributes the decrease in homeless populations to an improved U.S. economy.

“That’s the hope,” he said. “Whenever the economy goes down … people on the bottom rung of that ladder fall off and become homeless. Then as the economy gets better, there’s a better chance they can start climbing the ladder again.”

According to the count, 59 homeless veterans were living in Wichita in 2015 – down slightly from 2014’s 62. Of those 59, 21 were classified as “chronically homeless,” meaning they have a disabling condition that prevents them from finding employment.

In 2010, President Obama and the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a plan to end veteran homelessness by 2015. Wichita was one of 71 communities nationwide that joined in that pledge, Hanrahan said.

“That doesn’t mean all of a sudden homeless are going to disappear,” he said. “There’s a concentrated effort to work together in an efficient manner and provide other services. That’s a fairly new effort and it may take a while, but I think there’s a push in that direction.”

The annual point-in-time count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development so it can properly assess the scope of homelessness at a local level and allocate funding accordingly, according to a United Way news release.

Since 2011, the United Way of the Plains has combined traditional street surveys with a homeless services event at Century II. The event provides free haircuts, health checks, and food to homeless people who show up to be counted.

Hanrahan said as a result of the Century II events, Wichita’s counts have become more accurate in recent years.

“On any given day you’re bound to miss somebody. That’s just the way it is, but I think it’s much improved,” he said. “I would venture to say it was more accurate this year than a few years ago – we’ve gotten more sophisticated in … encouraging people to come in.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2015 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Annual count finds 11 percent fewer homeless Wichitans."