Fewer homeless on streets during count
JANESVILLE -- Fewer people were found sleeping outside Wednesday compared to previous years when homeless were counted in Rock County.
Volunteers counted seven homeless outside in Rock County, 10 fewer people than in 2010, said Marc Perry, director of planning and development for Community Action of Rock and Walworth Counties.
“We had much warmer temperatures. Because of the weather, we anticipated more people out,” Perry said. “Instead, we ran into fewer people. We just didn’t expect that.”
The Rock County Homeless Intervention Task Force and volunteers count homeless every January and July.
The final number of homeless counted Wednesday won’t be known until next week when people in local shelters or with emergency-housing vouchers are counted, Perry said.
The January 2010 count revealed 403 people living without homes in Rock County, he said. Most homeless are in shelters.
For a full story, read Friday's Gazette, read online in the Gazette's E-Edition or check back at Gazettextra.com.
Jan 28, 2011 at 1:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sarah, I was going to say the same. Also some will commit crimes just to get a warm cell and food for a few days or weeks. It is sad and is unpreventable in some situations.
Jan 28, 2011 at 9:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
copo9561, maybe you are right for some of them but I don't buy that as a blanket statement for all of them. I'm sure behind every homeless story there is a lesson to be learned on how it could have been avoided. However, I'm sure many of them do not relish being homeless and they would like to find a way out. Besides the comment that some are living in the downtown parking ramp, where else are they? If there is as many as stated in the article why aren't they more apparent to the naked eye as they are in Milwaukee or Madison?
Jan 28, 2011 at 8:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
you see them as homeless,
I see them as ones that chose their path to let lack of education,drugs,alcohol,crime get in the way of being able to provide for themself.
I dont want to here that they are homless because there are no jobs,then maybe they should move to an erea were there is employment"
Jan 28, 2011 at 6:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
This is because they all use the new parking ramp. They also use it as a toilet sometimes.
Jan 28, 2011 at 6:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
There ARE ways to help, we just need to search them out. Prayers are a first and immediate thing we can do. Call up some agencies to find out what can be done to help.
Jan 27, 2011 at 9:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
I am interested in where the homeless in Janesville spend the night. Are they willing to accept help in the way of food or clothing?
Jan 27, 2011 at 8:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sannio, thank you for helping and thank you for your kind words. Thinking of the homeless makes me tear up also. Wish there was more help available to them.
Jan 27, 2011 at 7:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
they probably arrested them lol so they wouldnt make their little peyton place look bad.
Jan 27, 2011 at 6:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Gee, I wonder were they were?
Jan 27, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
I'm glad there's less homeless people this year. After last year's count I just couldn't muster enough positive energy to go out this year, boy was it cold last year! I also felt oddly criminal snooping around back alleys in the middle of the night.
Another volunteer activity I have allows me to interact with people that are homeless. I don't know which is harder: walking around in the middle of the freezing night looking for people, or seeing the little kids who don't have homes.
Ya, it's the second one that's harder.
I'm tearing up now as I write this.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.