Homeless numbers drop in Collier but there's a downside. What to know

The number of homeless individuals in Collier County has dropped 6% from last year but there are downsides.

There are more homeless veterans and students yet fewer seniors who are homeless, living in cars or other places not meant for habitation.

The annual homeless count found 660 people countywide have no place to live, which is down from 703 last year.

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The “point in time” count is conducted over two days in late January each year by volunteers on behalf of the SWFL Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, previously the Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County.

The volunteers disperse to camps in the woods, soup kitchens, shelters and elsewhere to tabulate and interview individuals anonymously about their circumstances and what led to them being homeless.

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The count has shortcomings but the findings are reported to state and federal agencies to secure funding for rapid rehousing and social services to help individuals.

What's good and what's not so good

The results show 63 seniors were homeless in January and that dropped from 195 seniors last year, a good finding with a caveat.

What made that possible is “focused funding” that had helped to reduce those numbers but it has been a struggle over the last six to eight months to find affordable housing, according to Michael Overway, executive director of the coalition.

As a result of no affordable housing, the Women’s Foundation of Collier has redirected $30,000 it had allocated to the coalition for other uses, he said.

The Collier Community Foundation said the money is being used for temporary shelter, wrap-around services, and rent deposits for low-income senior women through such organizations as St. Matthew’s House, Baker Senior Center Naples and The Housing Alliance.

Another result shows the number of homeless veterans has gone from 51 last year to 96 this year. Overway said heavy focus on veterans by volunteers helped uncover the hidden veteran population who are homeless.

In addition, Warrior Homes, which has transitional housing for veterans and provides other services to homeless veterans, has created an environment by which veterans experiencing homelessness are talking to other veterans. That has made it easier for count volunteers to talk with the homeless veterans, Overway said.

Dale Mullin, president and founder of Warrior Homes, said he doesn’t agree with the number of homeless veterans and how the results are reported and tabulated by U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

More: Collier commissioners tweak county rules for affordable housing built under Live Local Act

Where do the homeless sleep?

Out of the total 660 homeless people, the count found 123 are using transitional housing, which was 192 last year.

Another 131 in this year’s count were staying in emergency shelters while the number was much higher at 270 individuals last year, according to the findings.

The unsheltered homeless number was at 406 in January, which means they live in camps, in recreational vehicles, makeshift shelters, cars, doorways, and other places not meant for habitation.

That is up from 241 last year for a 68% spike, according to the findings.

“Unsheltered homelessness continues to grow out control because our county refuses to address affordable housing for extremely low to low-income people,” Overway said.

New legislation passed this spring and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis prohibits cities and counties from allowing people to sleep in public places. Local governments can create temporary shelters and offer mental health services and treatment for substance abuse.

“I honestly don’t know what more to do other than let the new legislation take ahold in Collier and stand back while the local municipalities get sued due to lack of housing (or) shelter options,” Overway said.

St. Matthew’s House, the nonprofit homeless shelter organization, said it needed more clarity on the numbers before commenting.

What about students?

The count this year says 1,665 students are homeless. Last year it was lower at 1,289 students.

The coalition says the Collier County School District uses a broader definition of student homelessness that includes students who are “couch surfing” at friends and living with other adults, which is not included in the HUD definition.

The school district's definition uses what's known as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Hemi Kafle, the coordinator for the Collier school district on student homelessness, said the count figure is not accurate, based on the current number of 2,168 students who are identified as homeless. An update is done daily, he said.

The increase is tied to various issues such as economic instability, housing affordability, family dynamics, and the lack of effective support services.

"Many families are struggling with financial hardship, which can lead to eviction, foreclosure, or even loss of stable housing, which forces families to share housing with others," he said in an email.

"I believe that we are still facing the consequences of Hurricane Ian. Similar to adjacent counties, many of our students and families are displaced," he added.

His staff conducts outreach and training to bring awareness of the issue, and has created an online and hard copy version of its student housing questionnaires to capture more accurate responses from families, he said.

In addition, his team has established school-based support services to connect students and families to various services, including tutoring services, mental health counseling, and any other needs to help overcome how a lack of housing can contribute to students falling behind in school.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Annual homeless count shows 660 in Collier, down from 703 last year.