DATE: December 15, 2016
MEDIA CONTACT: Michael R. Wright
Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership
PHONE: 954-357-6167
EMAIL: mwright@broward.org

BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Broward's Homeless Initiative Partnership, in collaboration with the Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Broward Sheriff's Office, 211, Nova Southeastern University and Hands on Broward, will begin the collection of data for the 2017 Homeless Point-In-Time (PIT) Count Survey and Built for Zero 2017 Initiative Registry Week from the night of Tuesday, January 24th through Thursday, January 26, 2017.

The survey is used to provide up-to-date information about the needs of persons experiencing homelessness and is an opportunity to engage in efforts to end homelessness and inform them about the Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC), and Broward Built for Zero: 2017 Initiative Registry Project.

Nearly 250 volunteers stand ready to assist in the Homeless Continuum of Care. Interested persons should contact Shira Fowlkes at pitvolunteers@brhpc.org  for additional information or click on http://www.browardpointintime.org/get_involved to register.

According to Michael R. Wright, Administrator of Broward's Homeless Initiative Partnership, the County is charged with counting every homeless person and asking them to complete a survey. "An accurate count helps the County get needed resources to help persons experiencing homeless in Broward and is used to substantiate need for all federal and state grants," says Wright. "The Broward Built for Zero: 2017 Initiative Registry is designed to create a registry of homeless and chronically homeless people and line up a supply of housing and service resources to help them and will assist in prioritizing chronically homeless persons for placement in HUD CoC Program Permanent Supportive Housing."

The "A Way Home" Homeless Continuum of Care is a network of organizations, advocates, residents and businesses that plan programs to implement a full range of emergency, transitional and permanent housing along with prevention and other services to help alleviate homelessness in Broward County. The County's Built for Zero: 2017 goal is to achieve functional zero for veteran homelessness by May 31, 2017, chronic homelessness by 2017, and family and youth homelessness by 2020.

About Homeless Initiative Partnership
The Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP), a section within the Community Partnerships Division of the Broward County Human Services Department, plans and coordinates services for homeless persons, and serves as liaison to the Homeless Initiative Partnership Advisory Board, which acts as agent for the Board of County Commissioners in the development and implementation of homeless assistance programs. HIP is also the lead agency for the County's Homeless Continuum of Care, a network of organizations, advocates, residents and businesses that plan programs to help alleviate homelessness in Broward County. The goal is to end veteran homelessness by 2017, chronic homelessness by 2017, and family and youth homelessness by 2020. For more information, call 954-357-6101 or visit Homeless Services.