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Number of unsheltered people in Washington County doubles in annual survey

20 individuals located during PIT count last month

By Mike Jones 4 min read
article image - Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Scott Berry, who is Washington County’s mental health director, places a winter hat in a care package that was distributed during the annual count of the unsheltered population in the county on Jan. 22.

The number of unsheltered people living in Washington County during last month’s federally mandated “point in time” count nearly doubled compared to the tally performed in 2023, but county officials think the current population is likely higher since the survey was conducted during one of the coldest nights of winter.

Several teams of volunteers fanned out across the county late Jan. 22 into the early morning hours of Jan. 23 trying to get an accurate picture of the homeless situation that will help attract federal funds and more resources to the area.

The volunteers counted 20 individuals living in unsheltered conditions in the county, with most of them residing in the city of Washington. That total number was nearly double the figure in 2024 when the PIT survey counted 11 people.

Nicole Masur, who is the county’s homelessness and housing director, said she thinks the single-digit temperatures overnight sent some people into shelters, which conduct their own separate counts in order to get a complete picture of the homeless situation.

“We truly believe that on a warmer night, that would change,” Masur said of the number of unsheltered individuals the groups encountered. “I think with the temperature, people were going anywhere they could. That was the feedback from volunteers; they noted that the count would significantly change if we were able to get out in the warmer (months).”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires counties across the country to perform the PIT count in the last 10 days of January, and this region selected Jan. 22 and 23 several months ago before it was known how cold it would be. It’s not clear why HUD does not allow for the count to be performed in warmer months when more unsheltered people might be located living outdoors.

Regardless, Masur said the count “proves the need for more resources” to help unsheltered and homeless people in the community. During the count, the volunteers distributed care packages to people that included warm garments, hygiene items and information about where to find available resources.

“Our sheltered and unsheltered population continues to increase over the last three or four years, so that shows the need for more resources. Specifically, affordable housing,” she said.

That is something Washington County Human Services Director John Tamiggi said they would like to improve in order to give people more opportunities to find a place to live.

“We’re not the only county seeing the increase. The disparity in housing and affordable housing makes it that much more challenging for people to have that foundation to grow from,” Tamiggi said.

However, Tamiggi admitted that solutions are elusive with the higher cost of rent and permanent housing. But he said they’re committed to finding opportunities for unsheltered people to get them into housing.

“It’s a little too early to tell to see what will transpire,” he said. “We’re optimistic that support will continue to drive us to the most vulnerable members of our community.”

In Greene County, the figures from its PIT count were not immediately released since officials were still calculating the totals between the unsheltered and people living in transitional housing or local shelters. The numbers will be fed to the state to get an overall picture of the homeless situation in Greene County.

“Here in Greene County, we worked to ensure everyone’s safety and make sure those who are street homeless are counted,” said Amy Switalski, who is the housing and family resources administrator for Greene County Human Services.

While out on Jan. 22 and 23, the volunteers distributed blankets and also provided people with the option of a warm place to sleep that night through Greene County’s “Warm Nights Program” that offers temporary shelter when temperatures fall below 25 degrees between November and March. On such nights, people can call Greene County Human Services at 724-852-5276 during the day or the crisis line at 800-417-9460 after 4:30 p.m. to register to stay overnight. People in need can also call human services for information about its housing program, which provides rental and utility assistance.

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