Project Homeless Connect is a one-day event to help people living without homes easily access a variety of resources in one location

The annual Clark County Project Homeless Connect event is set for Thursday (Jan. 25) from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S. Andresen Road in Vancouver.  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, vision exams, glasses, haircuts, help signing up for social service benefits and healthcare, employment resources, clothing, hygiene items, foot washing, a pet clinic, and food. Anyone throughout the county who is without a home is encouraged to attend.

Interpreters will be at the event to assist people who speak Chuukese, Spanish, and Russian. Shuttles to and from the event from locations around the county will be available throughout the day. All shuttle rides begin at 9am. Locations include Living Hope Church, Couve Collective, and Value Motel. For Van-Trans Wheelchair shuttles, call 360-281-1120 as needed. The C-Tran Vine Bus 32, Red, stops near St. Joseph Catholic Church.

St. Joseph Catholic Church donates use of their facility, refreshments, volunteers, light breakfast, and hot lunch. The event is sponsored by Molina Healthcare, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH), and Wellpoint. Couve Collective is coordinating logistics and volunteers for the event. 

Flyers promoting the event and more shuttle details are at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/project-homeless-connect/

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. The count provides a one-night snapshot of what homelessness looks like in our community and contributes to state and national data, funding decisions, and resources. 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 from the Point in Time Count will be released in May 2024 after the data is de-duplicated and analyzed.

CFTH staff, staff from partner agencies, and trained community volunteers will divide the county into 13 outreach zones. 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. 

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. People staying in Clark County shelters and transitional housing will all be counted through the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Council for the Homeless is a non-profit organization that provides community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County, WA. www.councilforthehomeless.org