Kensington sees largest increase of homeless individuals during 2015 count

In times of inclimate weather, homeless people tend to seek shelter before the count is conducted. And the weather during the 2014 count was much worse than this year's.

Prevention Point's truck, used during the PIT count.
Courtesy of Prevention Point

The results of the 2015 Point in Time (PIT) count are in. The count occurred on Weds., Jan. 21. According to the Office of Supportive  Housing, the total Philadelphia homeless count is 3,327 persons, 510 of which are unsheltered. Kensington saw the largest increase of homeless individuals, from 20 in 2014 to 164 in 2015.

But Silvana Mazzella, Director of Programs at Prevention Point — the homeless support organization that counted individuals in Kensington — said this doesn’t mean the homeless population is increasing. In times of inclimate weather, homeless people tend to seek shelter before the count is conducted. And the weather during the 2014 count was much worse than this year’s.

There may be another factor involved. Mazzella also says that the homeless might not even want to seek refuge in a city shelter.

“The shelter system as we have it is not the ideal setting for every homeless individual,” Mazzella said. “They can be harsh places. You have to be out in a public place with other people. You might get robbed. Some of the facilities are overflowed.”

This was reflected during Prevention Point’s count. Of the 48 people Mazzella’s specific group counted, not one agreed to be taken to a shelter for the night.

Some were polite about it. “I should be good for the night,” said one homeless man, who was part of a group. “But thank you very much for the offer.”

Others were more direct. “Outreach?” said another man, getting ready to go to sleep. “No thank you.” Mazzella said many homeless people distrust shelters.

But Prevention Point’s goal is still to get every homeless person off the street and into housing.

“You have to think about we have people who have spent their lives in and out of jails and institutions constantly being told ‘No, no, no, here are all the things you’re doing wrong,’” said Kate Perch, Housing Coordinator at Prevention Point. “They’ve probably had a lot of personal trauma in their lives.”

The organization met one homeless man on the count who expressed his desire to quit using drugs, but succumbed to withdrawal each time he tried. That’s why Prevention Point runs a syringe exchange and drop-in center, where they provide clean injection equipment and inform people of their support services, and then give them a cup of coffee.

“That we offer people to just come in to have coffee is an entry point to a conversation, and that conversation builds a relationship and that relationship leads to services,” Perch said.

“When you leave all the doors open all the time and you inform an individual we offer X, Y and Z whenever they want, behavior change is going to happen when they decide that for themselves,” said Jeff Roberson, Hepatitis C Outreach Linkage and Referral Specialist with Americorps.

“It’s really important to not put pressure on people, let them make their own decisions, and let them have their own agency,” said Alli Elkin, social work student at University of Pennsylvania and intern at Prevention Point.

Throughout the night, Prevention Point had Project HOME’s Outreach service number — 215-232-1984 — on hand, to take homeless persons in need to a shelter.