Groups across Kentucky are preparing to participate in the nationwide count of the homeless that takes place at the end of January. In advance of the count, several training sessions are being offered during the week of Jan. 6 to 10.
The Kentucky Housing Corporation coordinates the state’s count of the homeless, called K-Count, that will be held this year on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
It’s part of the nationwide count of the homeless managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Tori Henninger is executive director of Barren River Area Safe Space, or BRASS, which provides services for victims of domestic violence in a 10-county region in southern Kentucky.
Henninger says many individuals, especially women, become homeless as a result of domestic violence, so BRASS is one of several organizations offering training to people who want to take part in the K-Count.
“There’s a new app this year and not a paper survey, so we’ll learn the process of the app," said Henninger. "We’ll learn the questions and the intention behind the questions that are asked in these surveys.”
Henninger said getting an accurate count is important for funding from HUD and other sources.
“We are at or above our capacity 90 percent of the year," said Henninger. "I know the same can be said for the Salvation Army and many of the other shelters in our region. And so, while I can’t exactly tell you the level of increase in homeless, I can tell you that those reaching out for services continue to increase.”
The BRASS training session is Monday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. at 2109 River Street in Bowling Green.
Other training sessions are being held ahead of K-Count:
- Monday, Jan. 6, Salvation Army, Hopkinsville
- Tuesday, Jan. 7, Kenton County Public Library, Covington
- Wednesday, Jan, 8, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland
- Thursday, Jan. 9, Kentucky Highlands Innovation Center, London
- Friday, Jan. 10, Bluegrass Community Action, Frankfort
More information about these training sessions can be found here.
Last year's K-Count reported about 4,000 homeless in Kentucky. That 2019 total was an increase of about 600 homeless in the state over a three-year period.
