Survey shows rise in Alexandria's unsheltered homeless

The Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition's one-night count of the homeless performed each January found twice as many unsheltered homeless this year as it did last year. But that doesn't necessarily reflect reality.

Kendra Gauthier, executive director of the Homeless Coalition, said the organization implemented a new outreach program in August of 2015, and it has allowed them to identify spots in Alexandria where the unsheltered tend to camp out. So, volunteers helping with the one-night count knew more places to look than last year.

"We were still surprised by it (the number), because we put so much effort into housing people," Gauthier said. "You think your numbers are going down."

Organizations like the Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition are required to do a one-night count at the same time each year in order to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Gauthier said preliminary numbers from the Jan. 26, 2016, count show a homeless population of 147 in the community. About 50 of those are unsheltered homeless, who are on the streets and not sleeping in a shelter.

Volunteer teams dispersed throughout the city around 4 a.m. looking for people asleep outside or in abandoned buildings.

"We kind of outline the known locations, and then we give them a map, and they go exploring, basically," Gauthier said.

The teams surveyed the individuals found to determine if they were chronically homeless and other needs. They also handed out bus tickets, food items and provided information about local resources for the homeless.

Although accuracy of the count depends on factors like knowing where to find people, it serves other purposes, too, from Gauthier's perspective. In fact, the coalition does other counts throughout the year that are not required. It puts them in contact with people who don't know about the resources they offer.

"We actually had a lot of people come in here after (the January count)," Gauthier said.

The apparent doubling of the unsheltered homeless population also caused coalition members to look for contributing factors.

"We had to stop and think: Why is this the case?'" Gauthier said.

She thinks the numbers likely reflect the loss of the Shepherd Center in the community.

"I still believe the closing of the Shepherd Center had an effect as well," Gauthier said.

The agency for more than 30 years provided the needy with clothes, food and utility assistance, which helped homeless-prevention efforts. It closed in September.

In the future, a Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition resource center could help members keep better tabs on the area's homeless population and ways to help them. The organization is currently raising money to renovate a building on Jackson Street where that will be located.

"Having that center open would also allow us to get a better idea of who is out there," Gauthier said.

Gauthier said the coalition is about 80 percent of the way toward its fundraising goal. In the coming months, an estimate of how much is still needed will be released to the public.

Visit the organization's Facebook page Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition for more information on ways to help the homeless.