For Immediate Release: January 7, 2021
For More Information: Lorraine Polak, 773-3181

Statewide Homeless Count to be Conducted in January

PIERRE –On Jan. 26, 2021, South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium (SDHHC), an affiliate of South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA), will conduct its annual statewide Point-In-Time (PIT) homeless count.

The Point-In-Time homeless count is a critical source of annual data, providing characteristics of people who are experiencing homelessness. Data from the annual PIT homeless count is used to measure homelessness on local, state, and national levels. PIT count data helps policy makers and communities measure progress, identify strengths and gaps in services, increases public awareness of homelessness, and enhances system planning and responses.

SDHHC will conduct a count of homeless persons within the geographic area of South Dakota. To be effective, SDHHC divides the state into six count areas and utilizes five coordinators. There are coordinators in each area who will be working with agencies and volunteers to conduct the 2021 PIT count. Coordinators and their areas are listed below. If you have been involved with the count in the past, or would like to be involved, please contact the individuals in your area for more information on training and organization plans for communities. To maximize safety, SDHHC will be employing federally approved flexibilities into this year’s unsheltered homeless count including; decreasing and minimizing close contact time by reducing the number of survey questions, providing personal protective equipment for volunteers, and limiting the reliance upon volunteers.    

• Sioux Falls Contact: Suzanne Smith, Augustana Research Institute, 605-274-5010 or suzanne.smith@augie.edu

• Rapid City, and Bennet, Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Jackson, Haakon, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Ziebach, Oglala Lakota Contact: Sara Hornick, Volunteers of America- Northern Rockies, 605-341-8336 or shornick@voanr.org

• Minnehaha, Grant, Deuel, Codington, Hamlin, Clark, Kingsbury, Brookings, Miner, Lake, Lincoln, Moody, McCook, Turner Contacts: Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, Arleen Weerheim, (605) 256-6518 or aweerheim@interlakescap.com and Tammie Denning 605-334-2808 or tdenning@interlakescap.com

• Beadle, Brown, Campbell, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, Hughes, Hyde, Marshall, McPherson, Potter, Roberts, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Walworth Contact: Becky Hubsch, GROW South Dakota, (605) 626-2565 or becky@growsd.org

• Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Lyman, Mellette, Sanborn, Todd, Trip, Union, Yankton, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld Jones Contact: Darcie Bultje, Rural Office of Community Services, (605) 487-7634 or dbultje@Rocsinc.org

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In 2001, the South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium was created to help unify the people who provide services to the homeless. Throughout the years, this group has been able to identify gaps and create programs and services that make it easier for people to make it on their own. Since its initiation, the Consortium has received federal funding totaling over $23 million to provide development, operations and supportive services to a variety of homeless programs across the state.