Volunteers Needed To Help Count Montco's Homeless Population

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County announced plans to hold its count of individuals experiencing homelessness around the county in January, which will mark the first time the effort is undergone in two years after being skipped in 2021 due to the pandemic.

The count is part of a broader effort to survey the need of underserved individuals in the county and the extent and focus of what affordable housing efforts are needed.

“When Pennsylvanians lack access to safe, stable housing, it impacts every aspect of their life, from their health and whether they can manage chronic illness, to their ability to hold a job and live with dignity,” Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said. “We have a responsibility to all those who are unhoused or struggling with homelessness to provide opportunities for stability in housing and their economic future."

In addition to the added stressor of the pandemic, many families in the region continue to experience displacement this year due to the impacts of the remnants of Hurricane Ida in the fall. At least "hundreds" of families remain displaced, the county said.

Damages from the storm not only left some without a home, but it left many who were living in affordable housing without a comparable alternative. One example of this is Riverside Apartments in Norristown, which saw its 124 units wiped out during Ida's historic flooding of the Schuylkill River. Residents there have found it "almost impossible" to find an apartment of similar value.

The county's Office of Housing and Community Development will work with Your Way Home on the count. The numbers are submitted to the federal government and are used by all levels of government to inform policy, funding, and the success of programs that work to end homelessness.

Volunteers are needed to assist outreach teams in locating areas where homeless individuals and families are staying.

Volunteers must be 18 or older. To learn more and to sign up, see here.