Catholic Charities Conducts Unsheltered Count

Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler will be conducting interviews with the public to measure homelessness in our community. The interviews will be focused on where individuals slept during one specific “point-in-time,” Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

This Point-In-Time Study (PIT) will be conducted in a five-county region and is part of US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funding and in partnership with CARES, Inc.

A Point-In-Time Study is a coordinated effort within a specific region to count the number of people experiencing homelessness during a specific one-day point in time. HUD requests this information to better understand and address homelessness at a national level. Because of this PIT Study, federal funds could be used to address homeless issues specifically within our region. Therefore, Catholic Charities’ funding is directly tied to the completion of this study.

Suzi Fritz, Director of Emergency Services states, “Since the impact of COVID-19, it has become increasingly more important to draw attention to the funding needs of our communities to ensure service availability for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Catholic Charities’ Staff will be conducting interviews utilizing the help
of community organizations and local food pantries. If you think you
know where individuals are staying who might be homeless, please call
607-317-5640 and leave a message with the location.

In 2022, there were 1,144 distinct individuals who experienced homelessness and received services in Chemung County (229 individuals were under the age of 18).

For community members interested in helping, Catholic Charities is specifically in need of grocery gift cards and bus tokens. Donations may be mailed in or brought to Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center (380 S Main St, Elmira, NY), Monday-Friday from 8:30 am—4:30 pm or The Schuyler Outreach Food Pantry (112 10th St, Watkins Glen, NY) Tuesday & Friday: 9 am—2 pm, Thursday: Noon—4 pm.