Wednesday, January 30, 2019

On A Freezing NIght This Week, NYC Volunteers Participate In Hope Homeless Count - Roosevelt Island Resident Navigates For Team Counting In Central Park

Last Monday, many New Yorkers volunteered to count the number of homeless people living on our streets.  According to NYC Government web site:

... Every January, thousands of volunteers across the five boroughs participate in the annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE). That night, the volunteers canvass streets, parks, and other public spaces to identify individuals living unsheltered.

HOPE is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is a requisite for receiving funding under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. With approximately 1,500 survey areas covered, and the independent addition of decoys as a quality control measure, HOPE remains one of the most comprehensive efforts nationwide to help effectively project service needs and allocate resources for individuals who are experiencing chronic street homelessness...

Among the NYC volunteers was Roosevelt Island resident Frank Farance (pictured at left rear).



Mr Farance shared these photos and reports:
HOPE 2019: NYC's annual search/count of the homeless

This year, our team's assignment was Central Park: inside the park from 96 Street and north to 110 Street. The temperature on the ground was 19 F, the ground was hard and frozen, and icicles oozed out of rocks.



It was Code Blue, which means we need to wake up anyone we discover to make sure they are alive (and offer immediate shelter assistance), it's too dangerous to be sleeping outside.

The map shows the areas we cover: six sections of the park


where we might find homeless people. My CERT experience in Search and Rescue came in handy, as I was the navigator for the team.



There are about 2000 volunteers doing this City-wide, our section (Upper East Side and Central Park) started at Hunter College (Lex & 68 St), where about 100 of us got training 10 PM to midnight,

 

stocked up on snacks and water, and then headed out to survey 12:15 AM to 4:00 AM, and return the surveys and get a free T-shirt (really nice). I got home around 5 AM.

We had an escort from NYC Parks Department staff who were very helpful in their knowledge and expertise, especially walking around Central Park at night. Our Search Team 18 of seven people, covered many trails, roads, and benches. At times, we broke into two squads of 3 and 4 people, which allowed us to do the survey quicker, yet safely.

The park looks very very different at night and in winter with trees minus their leaves, and it can be disorienting when following trails that twist and turn - Which Way Is North?



Unlike daytime and summer time where one has the luxury of time, visibility, and warmth, that's not the case for us.

I snapped a couple photos of the Reservoir, which has a spectacular view looking south at Midtown Manhattan.



I've done thus survey for several years, I am happy I do this, it is a worthwhile effort, and I encourage others to volunteer, too.
From Roosevelt Island NYC Council Member Ben Kallos

and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer

Channel 11 Pix News has more on the Hope Homeless Count.



According to the 2018 homeless count

Image From Hope 2019

there were a total estimate of 3,675 unsheltered individuals on January 22nd, 2018 (-6% from 3,892 in 2017).

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:24:00 PM

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