By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County will be included in a survey to focus on the homeless and their needs.
The North Arkansas Human Services Systems, Inc. will conduct the survey of 19 counties in northern and eastern Arkansas.
Lisa Powell, Homeless Coordinator with Health Resources Arkansas, this morning explained some of the information that the volunteers would be looking for.
"Some of the questions that we will be asking each agency will be how many known homeless are there currently or how many have been served in the last 12 months; a breakdown of services that they have requested like assistance finding housing or paying rent and electric bills; and demographic information, such as age race and sex."
Powell said that SFC was included in the survey because of information primarily from a local drug center.
"We have the East Arkansas Substance Abuse Treatment Center there in Forrest City that serves the SFC area," said Powell. "We know that from our count of people using this outpatient facility that a high number say that they are homeless."
According to a press release provided by the NAHSS, the Delta Hills Continuum of Care will hold to conduct the point-in-time, or one day, survey on Thursday, Feb. 27. The DHCC, a coalition of several non-profit organizations, is working in conjunction with the Social Science department of Arkansas State University-Beebe.
ASU-Beebe and the DHCC have gathered a combined 50 volunteers to identify the number of homeless people and families in the counties covered, and the types of services they need to become self-sufficient.
The volunteers will go across the 19 county area contacting shelters, low-rent housing projects, human service agencies, police and sheriff's departments and county judges among other people and agencies that might have had contact with homeless people or the issues faced by the homeless.
Homelessness is not just being with out a place to sleep, according to Powell. She said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has criteria that homeless persons and families must meet.
The information provided by Powell states that a person must either reside in a place not meant for human habitation such as a car, park or sidewalk; be in an emergency shelter; live in transitional or supportive housing for the homeless; in any of the before mentioned places, but having spent a short time (up to 30 days) in a hospital or institution; are being evicted within a week from housing and having no were to go; are being discharged within a week from an institution, such as a mental hospital or substance abuse center; or fleeing a domestic violence housing situation.
Anyone having any information that might be helpful to the effort, or who wants more information, may contact Lisa Powell, Homeless Coordinator for Health Resources of Arkansas at 870-793-8973 or 870-307-2242.
The Youth Advisory Council, the youth arm of the St. Francis County Community Foundation, is accepting applications for grants.
Application forms are available by contacting the Foundation office at 630-2400. Proposals must be postmarked by April 1.
All established, non-profit St. Francis County agencies that serve youth and children are invited to apply by sending modest grant proposals to YAC, P.O. Box 3002, Forrest City, Ark. 72336-3002.
The YAC is a group of area students who make grants to non-profit organizations to meet the needs of children and young people. This is a diverse group of young people, including eighth through 12th graders, representing all areas of St. Francis County. The YAC offers teens an opportunity for experiences in investing their own time and resources in their communities.
Anyone wanting more information may call the Foundation office.