2025 Project Homeless Connect, Point In Time Count Scheduled For Jan. 30 -01/27/25

Council for the Homeless' Project Homeless Connect event is set for Jan. 30 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at New Life Recovery Services (formerly The Lord's Gym), 2410 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, Wash. Project Homeless Connect is a one-day event to help people living without homes easily access a variety of resources in one location. Offerings include housing information; eyeglasses; help signing up for social service benefits and healthcare; employment resources; winter clothing; hygiene items; foot care; a pet clinic; and lunch. Anyone throughout Clark County who is experiencing homelessness is encouraged to attend.

"Project Homeless Connect has served Clark County's unhoused community for 17 years," said Iden Campbell, Council for the Homeless' continuum of care manager. "Through this annual event, we provide community members access to services they may not otherwise receive. We look forward to our continued commitment to the unhoused community by providing opportunities and a gateway to much-needed services." 

Interpreters will be at the event to assist people who speak Chuukese, Spanish and Russian. Shuttle service will be available via three routes to and from the event. Pickup/dropoff locations will be posted on Council for the Homeless' Instagram and Facebook social media. 

New Life Recovery Services is donating the use of its facility for Project Homeless Connect. The event is sponsored by Molina Healthcare and Wellpoint. Northwest Natural Gas Co. is the catering sponsor. Couve Collective is providing logistical support to Council for the Homeless for the event. 

Point in Time count

On the same day, the annual countywide census of persons without homes, known as the Point in Time (PIT) count, will take place. Every year the PIT count provides a census of the number of individuals and households who are currently unsheltered, in an emergency shelter, or in transitional housing on the last Thursday in January. During the last 10 days of January, agencies and volunteers from across Washington State will collect data to comply with Washington State Department of Commerce requirements. Data and analysis from PIT will be released in spring 2025.

CFTH staff, partner agencies and trained community volunteers will divide the county into 13 outreach zones. These teams travel to the zones early Thursday morning and throughout the day to ask survey questions of people living outside, in a tent, in a trailer with no running water, in their car, or escaping domestic violence, and to encourage them to attend PHC. 

The PIT survey includes voluntary questions regarding the last permanent ZIP code, demographics, and the circumstances that contributed to homelessness. An important aspect of the count is to "de-duplicate" people who may be counted more than once that day in order to provide a more accurate count. 

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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, Wash. www.councilforthehomeless.org

CFTH Coordinates Collaborative Response, Accepts Donations To Support Countywide Response -01/16/25

Council for the Homeless has issued a Severe Weather Alert for the homeless response system in Clark County for Sunday, Jan. 12, through Sunday, Jan. 19. Dates may change depending on the evolving weather situation.

CFTH leads the Clark County Severe Weather Task Force to ensure the safety of our unhoused neighbors during severe weather events. This work collaborates closely with many local agencies and governmental organizations. Council for the Homeless is the Clark County coordinating agency of the Homeless Response System, which includes calling for severe weather in the county for the unhoused community. The purpose of the Severe Weather Task Force is to assist unhoused community members in finding shelter during severe weather events. 

Beginning this winter, CFTH and the Clark County Severe Weather Task Force changed the protocol for calling Severe Weather. The response will be called when temperatures drop to 36 degrees; previously the threshold was 32 degrees. 

The change was made by reviewing how Clark County monitors and calls severe weather. By looking at health models, when hypothermia emerges, and understanding the unpredictability of weather, the task force was able to increase the threshold temperature. 

“Calling severe weather at the right time allows us to mobilize resources quickly, open shelters and provide critical support to people most vulnerable, preventing severe health outcomes,” said Sunny Wonder, chief operating officer at Council for the Homeless.

The response plan for severe weather includes the coordination of partners and resources by CFTH to meet the increased urgent need. Preparations include:

• Expanding overnight shelter capacity at existing shelters, including the overflow shelters that operate only during the winter months.

• Procuring and equipping outreach teams from multiple agencies with emergency supplies. Outreach workers will fan out countywide to provide emergency supplies and assist people in accessing shelter, including a limited number of motel vouchers for the most vulnerable individuals.

• Ensuring CFTH staffing levels can meet the increased demand.

“Community members can support by visiting the Council for the Homeless website to learn about available resources and donating supplies or water,” Wonder said, “which are crucial during extreme weather conditions. If you see someone who is potentially in crisis or needing shelter, direct them to resources that are available in the community, like the CFTH Housing Hotline at (360) 695-9677.”

Donations of funds and supplies are critically needed. Items should be new and unscented. Wool socks, tarps, warm hats, gloves, hand warmers, sleeping bags and other needed items are on the CFTH Amazon Wish List at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1ZD8W12QZ5ESH.

To donate funds, visit https://councilforthehomeless-bloom.kindful.com. 

Most shelters are accessed through the Council for the Homeless Housing Hotline, (360) 695-9677. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekend and holiday hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For an up-to-date list of warming centers, go to https://tinyurl.com/4j42v366.

Council for the Homeless will monitor the situation and post updates on its Facebook and Instagram accounts throughout the weather event. When a warming center is open on a walk-in basis, the details will be noted in the social media post.

C-Tran, a member of the Severe Weather Task Force, commits to offering free rides to warming centers during a severe weather event.

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, Wash.

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