By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
Early Wednesday, teams of volunteers will fan out across Cattaraugus County in search of homeless people — part of an annual count by the Continuum of Care group.
The groups involved in the count of unsheltered homeless individuals include Social Services, Olean Fire Department, Olean Police Department, Cattaraugus Community Action, Genesis House and Recovery Options Made Easy.
The teams will be looking for unsheltered homeless people. They are expected to stop by the Tim Hortons in Olean, Country Fair and the emergency room at Olean General Hospital — places that are open 24 hours — where homeless individuals may gather to get out of the elements, according to Jodi Fuller, CCA chief operating officer of Transitional Services.
“This is very cold weather,” Fuller said on Tuesday. In past years, the teams have found unsheltered homeless people sleeping in cars and at the emergency room.
Last year, the annual homeless Point in Time count — during the last 10 days in January — found six unsheltered homeless people. In 2023 there were five homeless individuals identified during the count and in 2022 there was one.
The teams are expected to concentrate their efforts in Olean, Allegany, Salamanca, Gownda and Arcade.
Others will be analyzing data on those at homeless shelters — Genesis House in Olean and Kinley Hill Shelter in Salamanca.
Genesis House has 17 beds for emergency homeless and eight Code Blue beds for when temperatures drop below freezing, while Kinley Hill Shelter offers 10 emergency shelter units and has 18 units for single room occupancy.
Fuller said that while it’s easy to count the sheltered homeless, it’s another story to try to accurately count the homeless without proper shelter.
The Point in Time Count also depends on the public to help them identify places where the homeless may seek shelter. It is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help provide data for future grants.
If there are more emergency homeless people than shelter beds, the Department of Social Services can provide vouchers to stay at a local hotel
Unsheltered homelessness means staying in a location not meant for human habitation, such as an abandoned building, a car or encampment. In cold weather such as this with temperatures in the single digits, someone who is homeless will often try to stay with friends or family members.
The teams often check with local law enforcement to see if they are aware of any locations homeless people might gather to get out of the cold weather. If someone is outside, the teams try to help them relocate to a warmer place, Fuller said. Members of the public have also provided information on where to find the homeless.
The teams of volunteers “are incredibly valuable to us,” Fuller said. “We appreciate their willingness to do this work.”
This is how CCA gets a sense of who the homeless are and how the organization can help them with services, Fuller added.
