BELFAST — The Belfast Homeless Coalition met  Jan. 11 to discuss the progress being made by the group, in addition to upcoming events.

The majority of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the national Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which happens on a single day each January. Members of the coalition will be participating in this year’s Waldo County count, which begins at 4 p.m. Jan. 24.

The Waldo County PIT count is led by James Gagne, of Preble Street, who has been an active participant in the Belfast Homeless Coalition. 

The PIT count is focused on counting the number of homeless, both those with and without shelter, and is carried out nationwide.

Gagne spoke to the group about the importance of being able to present people with hard numbers to support the call for aid for those in need.

The count happens in three stages, with preidentifying homeless citizens being the first step. This step is crucial in ensuring that all of the homeless in a specified area are counted, whether or not they are located on the specific night of the count.

Members of the coalition divided towns within Waldo County amongst them, with each planning to contact their assigned towns before the official count. Members will call area town offices, churches, and other social organizations to check whether or not they are currently aware of any homeless living in the county.

The second step is the night of the official count, when members of the group and Gagne will travel around Belfast to known or reported areas where homeless citizens have been seen in the past. The group will have questionnaires to fill out with those in need, which are then reported back to the  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

The final step is in the several days that follow the count, when members of the coalition will travel to any areas identified in the first step of the count. Additionally, members of the coalition will travel to area soup kitchens and food pantries in an effort to further locate those in need. The homeless interviewed in the days following the official count will be asked specifically about the night of Jan. 24.

Though the information gathered from the PIT count is undeniably important, the information for Waldo County will not come back to the Belfast Homeless Coalition. Instead, the group created a three question survey that can be asked following the official PIT count questionnaire.

While the majority of their most recent meeting was devoted to covering the PIT count, the group remains dedicated and focused on creating local shelter for the community homeless.

Anyone with information about Waldo County’s homeless population or their potential whereabouts can contact the the coalition via email. 

The next Belfast Homeless Coalition meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 8, at the Edward J. Reynolds House in Belfast.

 Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com