The number of area homeless is rising, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH). Conducted by TJACH’s Jeffrey Cornelius with the help of shelter providers and social service agencies (and a few homeless themselves), the census found there to be 292 homeless people, 46 who were dependent children (up from 22 in 2007) residing with adults in emergency transitional or permanent supportive services. Last year, only 245 homeless were counted in the same census, a mere 173 in 2006. While Cornelius’ study was willing to cede that the number reported grew slightly because of “better count and counting more shelters,” he found the consensus from service providers is that the number of homeless people has actually grown. “The number of people found unsheltered fell,” the study concludes. “The increase in the number of children is significant.”
 A survey conducted by Jeffrey Cornelius found 292 homeless people in the area, including 46 dependent children. |
