An organization that coordinates services for homeless people in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties will do another count to get a clearer picture of just how many people are in need of their services. Changing Homelessness conducts a federally mandated census, called a point-in-time count, every January. They send hundreds of volunteers around to speak to sheltered and unsheltered homeless people.
But the organization found a red flag in this year’s count: Clay and Nassau counties had sharp increases in the number of people living on the streets, but Duval had just a small increase. Dawn Gilman, CEO of Changing Homelessness, believes unsheltered people in Duval may be hiding what they’re going through. Her group is determined to help those in need, so a second count will happen in June. (WJCT News)