Survey helps county target homelessness - Ventura County Star
An army of interviewers combed streets, parks, shelters, forest land and riverbeds Tuesday to count the homeless at a time when Ventura County faces its steepest unemployment and poverty rates in years.
Preliminary results won’t be known for 60 days, but there were hints of an increase over Ventura County’s last street survey, in 2007, when the economy was better.
“We know the numbers are going to be up quite a bit,” said Betty Eskey, executive director of the Samaritan Center, which aids homeless people in Simi Valley. “I would estimate we would be closer to 40 to 50 percent more.”
Every two years, cities across the nation conduct the survey, providing a snapshot of those living outdoors and in shelters. Then federal officials use the findings to help determine how taxpayer money aimed at ending homelessness should be doled out. Ventura County officials said they hope to qualify for $2 million to aid thousands of homeless residents.