Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler will be conducting interviews with the public to measure homelessness in our community. The interviews will be focused on where individuals slept during one specific “point-in-time,” Thursday, January 28, 2021.
This Point-In-Time Study (PIT) will be conducted in a five-county region and is part of US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funding and in partnership with CARES, Inc.
A Point-In-Time Study is a coordinated effort within a specific region to count the number of people experiencing homelessness during a specific one-day point in time. HUD requests this information to better understand and address homelessness at a national level. Because of this PIT Study, federal funds could be used to address homeless issues specifically within our region. Therefore, Catholic Charities’ funding is directly tied to the completion of this study.
Ashley Kerrick, Schuyler Director states, “In these unprecedented times that COVID-19 has created, it has become increasingly more important to draw attention to the funding needs of our communities to ensure service availability for our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Catholic Charities’ Staff will be conducting interviews utilizing the help of community organizations and local food pantries. If you think you know where individuals are staying who might be homeless, please call 607-425-1043 and leave a message with the location.
In 2020, there were 706 individuals who experienced homelessness and received services in Chemung and Schuyler Counties (42 of those individuals were under 18 years old).
For community members interested in helping, Catholic Charities is specifically in need of grocery gift cards. Donations may be mailed in or brought to Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center (380 S Main St, Elmira, NY), Monday-Friday from 8:30am—4:30pm or The Schuyler Outreach Food Pantry (112 10th St, Watkins Glen, NY) Tuesday & Friday: 9am—2pm, Thursday: Noon—4pm.