For Antigo Times

The semi-annual Point In Time Homeless Count has concluded without anyone being located on the streets of Langlade County according to AVAIL Executive Director Michelle Arrowood. The count was conducted statewide on the night of January 27, 2016, into the day of January 28, with AVAIL counting Langlade County as a part of the Northern Initiative to Stop Homelessness (N*WISH). Thirty-three contacts were made with local offices, schools, and businesses to ask that staff be aware and report those that may be unsheltered homeless to AVAIL.  Fourteen sites were physically explored by volunteers in the early hours of Thursday morning with targeted outreach in Bryant this year.

“Thankfully, no one was found in the elements and the service based count, which wrapped up at 5pm on Friday, also identified no one as unsheltered homeless.  In the event that individuals had been located, they would be connected with local resources including emergency shelter through the Salvation Army, hygiene products through the Help for the Homeless Drive, and food boxes provided by the Antigo Area Food Pantry, all coordinated by AVAIL on an emergency basis,” Arrowood stated.
To be determined as unsheltered homeless in the count, which is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to occur each January and July, people need to be sleeping in a place not meant for human inhabitation such as a car, park, laundromat, waiting room, etc.  Local officials use the data collected during the count to apply for federal and state funding to better help the homeless.
For more information, please contact Michelle Arrowood at 715.623.5177 or avail@availinc.org