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Oklahoma officials predict increase in yearly homeless count

 
BY JENEFAR DELEON    Comment on this article Leave a comment
Published: January 28, 2010

First, Billie Bullock lost her job. Then she lost her home.

photo - Volunteer Johnny Valadez, Oklahoma City, serving lunch during the annual "Point in Time" count to count the city's homeless held at Penn Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. Photo by Paul B. Southerland
Volunteer Johnny Valadez, Oklahoma City, serving lunch during the annual "Point in Time" count to count the city's homeless held at Penn Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. Photo by Paul B. Southerland

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The restaurant where she worked closed, and she couldn’t find new work.

She lost her home soon after. She had no choice but to ask for friends for help.

Bullock is one of hundreds of people surveyed Wednesday in the annual count of the Oklahoma City homeless population.

"This is great what the city is doing,” Bullock said. "There are a lot of people that need help.”

Volunteers visited homeless shelters, hot meal programs and encampments to help conduct the survey, organized by the Homeless Alliance, the Coalition for the Needy and the city of Oklahoma City.

The results of the count will be released Feb. 4.

Communities that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are required to perform a point-in-time count of homeless individuals and families, said Dan Straughan, executive director of the Homeless Alliance.

Last year, the survey counted 1,475 homeless individuals, an increase of 4 percent compared to 2008 results. The number of homeless likely is even higher now, he said.

This year there will be a slight increase of homeless individuals and families, said Jane Ferrell, Oklahoma City planner.

The annual survey will help agencies better serve the needs of the homeless, Ferrell said.

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Related Topics: Social Issues, Homelessness



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