News Release
Opportunities for Otsego to Lead Local Point in Time Count
Opportunities for Otsego to Lead Local Point in Time Count
01.10.2023 - Oneonta, New York
In partnership with the NY-511 Continuum of Care/Southern Tier Homeless Coalition, Otsego County advocates will conduct its Point in Time (PIT) Count of sheltered and unsheltered persons on Thursday, January 26th. The PIT provides a snapshot on the state of homelessness in communities across the country by obtaining an estimate of homeless persons and an inventory of dedicated homeless beds.
Opportunities for Otsego is again leading the local PIT count of unsheltered homeless. Last year, 77 adults were identified as unhoused in Otsego County, which included veterans and victims of domestic violence.
“The annual Point in Time count is an important step to highlighting the need for resources for the most vulnerable in our community”, said Will Rivera, Opportunities for Otsego Crisis Intervention Director and Board President of the Southern Tier Homeless Coalition. "Working together as a community and coalition to capture this data is essential to addressing the housing crisis in our region.”
Results from the annual homeless count and bed inventory guide Congress in allocating federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds to regional Continuums of Care so they may address homelessness. Opportunities for Otsego is hopeful its request for rapid rehousing funds under the most recent NY-511 Continuum of Care consolidated application to HUD is successful and provides nearly $700,000 to address the needs of unsheltered persons in rural Otsego County.
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