By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews
Dozen of volunteers from a variety of Lincoln County agencies are fanning out across the area in an effort to determine how many people currently are homeless.
The formally named Point in Time Count’s success, officials say, is critical because it directly determines how much money Lincoln County receives from state and federal sources to bolster programs and shelters that can help move people off the street and, ideally, into stable, long-term housing.
The count is the basis for how Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek allocated money for last year’s executive order on homelessness, said Karen Rockwell, executive director of the Housing Authority of Lincoln County, which is coordinating this year’s effort.
“Last year, we were the third lowest-funded county in the state,” Rockwell told YachatsNews. “But that’s largely because we were at such a deficit in not having any nightly shelters set up at that time. We’re hoping a more accurate count this year will put us in line for far more adequate funding.”
In Rockwell’s view, this year’s count will be by far the most accurate yet in coming up with the estimate for how many people are unsheltered on any given night. That’s largely because this is the second consecutive year that the count has been coordinated by the same agency – the Housing Authority – and volunteers this time around have a solid sense of how to compile the most reliable figures possible.
The 2022 Point in Time Count, for instance, showed that Lincoln County had only 133 unhoused individuals, Rockwell said, while the 2023 numbers edged up to 159.
“We know that this data is inaccurate,” she said, noting that enhanced coordination among agencies and volunteers in 2024 showed that the county had more than 500 unhoused individuals.
“We still believe that this number falls short of reality,” Rockwell added, “and we are trying to partner with (other agencies) to make sure that we prove the real need for housing and homelessness supports in our community.”
For purposes of the count, those staying at two shelters in Newport and Lincoln City were counted on a single night, Jan. 29. The single-night count is used in more populated Oregon counties to satisfy the federally-mandated count.
Lincoln County, along with 25 other more rural Oregon jurisdictions, gets a counting window that this year extends through Sunday, Feb. 9. That longer time frame allows count volunteers to spread out to many homeless camps that dot the county’s relatively large geographical size.
Volunteers are also visiting church food pantries in Waldport and Yachats to count people who may be homeless.
Winter shelters are busy
The county’s two winter shelters are seeing considerable activity, said Chantelle Estess, who supervises them.
In the three months since the overnight service started Nov. 1, she said, some 145 “unique individuals” have found shelter there. Count numbers for the county’s shelter in Lincoln City, which opened in December, are still being compiled.
The Newport shelter is currently in a temporary church location, with remediation of some asbestos issues expected to be complete at the permanent facility on Southeast Seventh Street within two to three weeks, Estess said.
In Lincoln City, the closure of a center that provided day-time shelter and other services has thrown, at least temporarily, a wrench into operations, she said.
“We still aren’t sure exactly what has happened there, but from what we can tell, the day center is closed,” Estess said. “We badly need some facts to figure out what is going on.”
Amanda Cherryholmes, whose Lincoln City non-profit organization Coastal Support Services operated the day center, confirmed that the facility has been closed since aturday, Feb. 1.
She told YachatsNews that legal reasons prevent her from explaining the reason for the closure or whether a reopening in the future is likely.
“This has been so frustrating for me personally and for our organization,” Cherryholmes said. “I’d love to talk about what’s going on, but I just can’t. The issues we are facing are biggest than anything we’ve ever had in the past, but I can’t speak out until those issues are all resolved.”
Estess says she hopes the county can “step up” to do something about daytime sheltering.
“We have folks right now who have nowhere to go during the day and some of them are just scared out of their wits something bad will happen,” Estess said.
- Dana Tims is an Oregon freelance writer who contributes regularly to YachatsNews and can be reached at DanaTims24@gmail.com
Where is Commissioner Claire Hall when we need her? Guess she is cleaning up after Commissioner Miller’s temper tantrums and Commissioner Jacobson’s resignation, and trying to work with the former on appointing someone for the soon to be empty seat.