Forum Post: 'THE' Count -- HUD Ignores Millions of Homeless Persons

Thank you Diane Nilan

The PIT count doesn’t include families that have lost housing and are in motels, eking out their overpriced stays. It overlooks those tenuously doubled-up with friends, relatives, or scarcely-known acquaintances, or, like Melissa, precariously staying in substandard housing.

The U.S. Dept. of Education’s most recent census of students identified as homeless indicates 1,031,069, a number that doesn’t reflect older/younger siblings or parents. HUD’s report to Congress last year was 636,017. Um, quite a difference. And why does it matter?

Grossly inaccurate counts greatly reduce not only emergency shelter, justifying the inadequate resources allocated by Congress for more comprehensive family housing options, sending families spinning in a vortex of survival. Among other parts of this crisis, the little babies and toddlers, in the prime stage of development, get the short end of their parents’ attention and nurturing, thus the kids grow up less likely to succeed. And we all pay.

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Excellent article. Especially when the only ones that you see are those that are showcasing shelters that have needs and how well this is all working out. Don't tell me you have this under control when you clearly do not.