LYNN — The Lynn Continuum of Care (LCOC), a consortium of local organizations united under their shared goal to end homelessness in Lynn, will conduct a census-like study next week to collect data on the city’s homeless population.
The Lynn Shelter Association (LSA) will conduct brief interviews with unsheltered homeless people Wednesday, Jan. 25, offering them a variety of resources like food, coffee, toiletries, and blankets.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, the LSA will conduct a similar assessment at Lynn’s homeless shelters to gather data on Lynn’s sheltered homeless population.
The LCOC will share the data they collect with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and will analyze the results to determine the city’s housing needs.
Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development’s Housing Stability Coordinator Danielle Hoyt said that this year’s study will be the first in with LCOC’s new data collection software. She said that the new technology will allow LCOC to pinpoint particularly vulnerable homeless populations.
“It’s a really valuable resource, because HUD strongly encourages CoCs to carefully analyze the results, and make the necessary changes to their homeless response system. So the count data can be used directly to assess homeless people,” Hoyt said. “The unsheltered count data can be used to enhance outreach efforts, including improving coverage, addressing changes in the demographics of the people that are living on the streets — it can be used to ascertain whether clients found on the street are being sought out for housing opportunities.”
Hoyt said that during the pandemic, LCOC reported a sharp increase in homeless residents, as social distancing guidelines placed capacity constraints on shelters.
“The unsheltered population in our city has grown throughout the pandemic, and we attribute that to the reduction in shelter capacity across the state to meet the social distancing guidelines that were put out. In order to give the space between folks that was needed, they had to reduce the number of people that they could take into congregate settings,” Hoyt said.
Lynn, Hoyt said, has already achieved “functioning zero” in their veteran homelessness statistics, meaning that homelessness among veterans is extremely rare and brief in the city. She said that by collecting data on homelessness in Lynn, LCOC aims to reach functioning zero for its youth homeless population next.
“Lynn, has maintained functional zero for veteran homelessness, and as that’s identified, they are immediately connected to support and how rather quickly. We are in the process of doing the same with youths,” Hoyt said. “The count data gives us more insight into who’s out there, who needs us most, where they’re coming from, what their cultural backgrounds are.”
