Engagement center in Manchester reports new data on homeless population

TOWARD FINDING SOLUTIONS. THE DATA IS STARTING TO POUR IN FROM MANCHESTER’S NEW HOMELESS ENGAGEMENT CENTER. WE HAVE ABOUT 50 FOLKS A DAY THAT ARE COMING IN THE DOOR, AND THAT NUMBER IS RISING BECAUSE IT’S GETTING COLDER OUT. THE CENTER OPENED BACK IN SEPTEMBER AS AN EXPANSION OF THE CITY’S EMERGENCY SHELTER AT 39 BEECH STREET. IT’S OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND OFFERS SHOWERS, BATHROOMS, WARM MEALS, CLOTHES, A PLACE TO PICK UP MAIL AND A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING OR ADDICTION SERVICES. WE’RE JUST GOING TO TRY TO TO GIVE YOU A MOMENT OUT OF THE OUT OF THE COLD AND OUT OF THE CHAOS, TO TRY TO RECOLLECT ON WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, AND WE’RE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY WHICH WAY WE CAN. ADRIENNE BAILON IS THE CITY’S DIRECTOR OF HOUSING STABILITY AND SAYS THIS IS THE FIRST LOCATION IN THE STATE THAT HAS STARTED TO COLLECT WELL-ROUNDED DATA ON THE PEOPLE IT SERVES. WE ARE DOING IT. WE’RE NOTRILLIONEQUIRED TO DO IT, BUT WE’RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE WORK OF HAVING ALL OF THE DATA COLLECTED IN THE CITY, HAVING ROBUST CITYWIDE DATA SO THAT WE CAN REALLY WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND THE PROBLEM AND CREATE SOLUTIONS, BELOIN SAYS. OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, NEARLY 200 PEOPLE USED THE CENTER AND 50% REPORTED MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, 46% REPORTED SUBSTANCE MISUSE, AND 47% REPORTED A PHYSICAL DISABILITY. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BELOIN SAYS THE LACK OF HOUSING FOR EVERYONE IN THE GRANITE STATE IS NOW THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF HOMELESSNESS. A LOT OF TIMES, PEOPLE FEEL LIKE SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVERS OF HOMELESSNESS, AND IN PAST YEARS, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRUE. BUT THAT’S NOT ACTUALLY TRUE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE’RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS. AND SO NOT SURPRISINGLY, WE SEE A LOT OF OLDER FOLKS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN HOMELESS BEFORE COMING INTO OUR CENTER, BELOIN SAYS THE CITY WILL USE THIS INFORMATION TO SECURE MORE FEDERAL FUNDING AND TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. DATA IS KING. WE HAVE NOT HAD GOOD DATA IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, AND WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT. IT’S ONE OF THE FIRST STEPPING STONES ANY COMMUNITY CAN TAKE TO TRULY PROBLEM SOLVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT KINDS OF THINGS NEED TO BE ADDED IN HOPES THAT NEXT YEAR AND EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND A HOME FOR