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<p class="MsoNormal">Message forwarded on behalf of Merced “Point in Time”:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Merced "Point-In-Time" count is looking for volunteers to collect data for people who are experiencing homelessness. This is a great opportunity to assist with community data collection and help
your community! (Please see Point-In-Time description below).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:white">When</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:yellow">January 27, 2022: 6am – 8am</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">What</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">YOU WILL CONDUCT A SURVEY AND GIVE THEM A “CARE PACKAGE KIT”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Who – We Need You!</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO SIGN UP TO GO OUT IN GROUPS AND LOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">How – Can You Help?</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Use this link and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQKMElSom-cDAUn0aUd0CoHI7dYLVYPs5QCrbSQXN6bNOaaQ/viewform" title="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQKMElSom-cDAUn0aUd0CoHI7dYLVYPs5QCrbSQXN6bNOaaQ/viewform">REGISTER
TO VOLUNTEER</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Phil Schmauss, Merced Street Count Project Manager, at
<a href="mailto:mercedstreetcount@gmail.com">mercedstreetcount@gmail.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">About: Point-In-Time </span></u></i></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">In the early 2000s, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began requiring an annual Point in Time count as a means of collecting vital data in individual communities.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">When it comes to working with people who are experiencing homelessness, data is a powerful tool. Without data, it’s near impossible to understand the challenges a community faces or track the success
of agency programs intended to address those challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">HUD requires PIT counts annually, but only requires the unsheltered portion of the count every other year. However, many communities include unsheltered people in their annual counts as a way to
gather more accurate data and provide better services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">When the overarching goal is to reduce and eventually eliminate homelessness, it’s absolutely necessary to understand exactly how many people need to be placed in housing. A headcount provides
a hard data point that allows communities to form an actionable plan. Without a headcount, agencies would have to rely on anecdotal data and assumptions to address the challenges in their community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">In the end, it would be impossible to know if housing programs and other forms of support were actually working to reduce and eliminate homelessness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">HUD requires PIT counts so that communities and agencies can review data year-over-year to assess their own success. And, HUD uses this data to distribute federal funds accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">On a local level, these counts allow agencies to plan for real needs. People who are experiencing homelessness are naturally difficult to track because they move frequently and do not always feel
comfortable using community resources available to them. It can be easy for individuals to fly under the radar for months or even years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Getting out on the street level and physically counting these people is the only way to fully understand the scope of work a community has ahead of them in order to adequately house each individual.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Point-in-Time counts also demonstrate real needs to funding entities like HUD and other agencies so that they can make monetary decisions based on data.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Publishing data from a Point-in-Time count raises awareness among community members who can participate in the solution. City officials, businesses, and residents need to be aware of how many people
in their vicinity are facing this problem so that they can vote on policies and support agencies that are working to put an end to homelessness.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:yellow">Use this link and </span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQKMElSom-cDAUn0aUd0CoHI7dYLVYPs5QCrbSQXN6bNOaaQ/viewform" title="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQKMElSom-cDAUn0aUd0CoHI7dYLVYPs5QCrbSQXN6bNOaaQ/viewform"><span style="background:yellow">REGISTER
TO VOLUNTEER</span></a><span style="background:yellow">!</span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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