HELENA — Organizations and volunteers are preparing for Helena’s annual point-in-time survey. The yearly survey is conducted in communities throughout the United States.
The goal is to accurately count the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing, and those who are homeless.
The data collection period for the survey begins this Thursday and runs through Feb. 6. There will be four stations around Helena to gather data, open daily from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Data Collection Stations:
- Good Samaritan Ministries Our Place,1531 National Avenue
- St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 512 Logan Street
- God’s Love, 533 North Last Chance Gulch
- East Helena United Methodist Church, 50 Prickly Pear Avenue
Each station will offer a warm meal and clothing to those who participate.
United Way of the Greater Lewis and Clark Area shared with MTN the importance of the yearly count.
“We count folks, and there are federal dollars attached to those numbers, so it gives us a reading and our HUD [Housing and Urban Development Agency an opportunity to support us financially for our work,” said Jeff Buscher, Community Impact Director for United Way of Greater Lewis and Clark.
The 2024 survey revealed that there were approximately 181 unsheltered individuals in the Helena area.
Collected information is expected to be published to the public this spring after the Montana continuum of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development receives and reviews data.
