In the heart of Baltimore City, an army of over 200 volunteers braved the night to count its homeless residents. CBS News Baltimore reported that the annual Point-In-Time count, an initiative aimed at quantifying the homelessness crisis and propelling meaningful action, unfolded across city streets last night.
Despite a reported 30% decrease in homelessness over the past five years, the urgency of the issue persists, with Mayor Brandon Scott emphasizing the city's commitment to its most vulnerable neighbors. According to the WMAR-2 News, volunteers like Mark Council, who had personal experiences with homelessness, understand deeply the significance of the count and the hope it can provide for starting anew.
Volunteers split into groups during the PIT count, seeking out individuals in the cold of a January night, homeless with no other options, to survey them. Tara Taylor from the Baltimore City Continuum of Care expressed the city's communal spirit and desire for change. Being out until 11 p.m. last night, they returned to finish collating information for the city to compile and analyze, as CBS News Baltimore reported.
Despite the success of the PIT count, there are calls for improvements in methodology so that everyone in need is accounted for. The count is not just a statistic; it's the groundwork for securing federal funding, which underscores the narrative that ENGAGES AND SURVEY our unsheltered neighbors to create avenues for advocacy and change, according to Mayor Scott's statement detailed by CBS News Baltimore.
