Helping those who need help just finding shelter!
In Centre County, organizers say it’s not just about the number of homeless people in the county, it’s also about considering new options in better serving them.
In many of our communities, homelessness is difficult to visualize, but it’s real, and in Centre County, every year, there’s a homeless census of sorts.
Authorities say a new funding program will expand Centre County’s shelter services, focusing on existing shelters.
Last year, 235 people were listed as homeless in the county.
This year, that number is expected to be lower, but providing assistance is still crucial.
“It’s a very impactful number for us who are service providers; we get grouchy because we know there are more people out there experiencing some level of homelessness, but when you look at the number, it’s substantial. Often times, for people not in our role, it’s a bigger number than they ever could imagine.”
Making the issue even more complex, officials say there’s no one set of criteria to define homelessness, and that it differs among assistance programs.
