Preliminary number for homeless in Bell
Published 6:11 pm Friday, February 1, 2019
The annual count of homeless people in Bell County identified 63 people who are living without a stable place to call home, according to the Community Care Outreach Ministry.
The homeless count was part of the K-Count partnership with the Kentucky Housing Authority and is an annual “snapshot” of what homelessness in areas looks like. The annual count helps to gauge the extent of the problem and to determine the needs for housing funding.
Local event organizer Lisa Evans said that some people live in tents and go to local libraries during the day. Others move from place to place.
“A lot of the people we feed each week are what we consider transitional homeless, which are people that are just living with friends or family a few days at a time,” she said.
Evans also said a small percentage of the homeless population actually lives on the street.
She said the dangerously cold temperatures puts people in a dire position, making it even more important to help them and tell them about resources such as warming stations and emergency shelters.
Volunteers deliver food to the homeless and put on dinners at certain times, which also help them find other homeless communities. While they’re trying to help as much as possible, the goal is to end homelessness.
“My goal is to hopefully get some solutions to help resolve the issues,” Evans said.