MEDIA ADVISORY - HOMELESS POINT IN TIME SURVEY
January 25, 2012

Tomorrow morning over seventy volunteers, including a dozen troops from Fort Carson, will spread out over Colorado Springs and surrounding areas to perform an annual survey of the homeless population of Colorado Springs. This tabulation will include over thirty items of demographic information for each person that will not only enable local homeless service providers to more accurately target the needs of the homeless, but will also assist HUD in allocating Federal Funds to where they are most needed.

Taking part in this year's survey, for the first time, will be volunteers from the HUD Regional Office in Denver and also from the Office of the Governor. Among them will be Rick Garcia, Administrator for HUD's Region VIII, serving a six state area, including Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. Mr. Garcia states: "You can't solve homelessness unless you understand the root causes for homelessness. Today we gather to collect data that helps to inform communities throughout Colorado to better direct federal resources to prevent and end chronic homelessness."

The best hours for media presence would be 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Best location, Marian House Soup Kitchen. Point In Time Supervisor on site is Anne Beer of Pikes Peak United Way.

Please call Bob Holmes for more information at (719) 955-0731 or (719) 650-7020 cell.

More information:

Local Homeless Count - KOAA TV (NBC Affiliate) (www.koaa.com/videos/local-homeless-count/)

Volunteers learn about homelessness, person-by-person (Colorado Springs Gazette) (www.gazette.com/articles/person-132288-people-homeless.html)
KRDO.com - (ABC Affiliate)
Survey Aims At Solving Homelessness
Volunteers Seek Exact Number Of Colo. Springs Homeless (www.krdo.com/news/30290129/detail.html)

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.