By Travis Crum for The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, W.Va.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The number of homeless people living in shelters or on the streets in Cabell and Wayne counties decreased for the third straight year in 2019, according to figures released Monday.
The Huntington-Cabell-Wayne Continuum of Care said a January 2019 count showed a total homeless population of 171 people in the two counties, down from 190 people counted in 2018. That’s fewer than 205 people counted in 2017 and 228 people counted in 2016.
The reported decrease will likely translate to more federal money for local agencies providing homeless services because they are scored based on how effective their programs are, said Amanda Coleman, executive director of the Harmony House.
“We need to show that we reduced overall homelessness, that we reduced first-time homelessness and we reduced the length of time people spend homeless,” Coleman said. “When we show improvements, it improves our score on our funding application.” …
