Volunteers, Lluvia Reyes in far left, and Michelle Maldonado sitting down in the lower right, listen to PIT Count leader Mark Richardson.

Volunteers gathered Thursday in a back room at Gateway to Hope as Mark Richardson, Point In Time Count leader, explained what they would be doing for the 2024 PIT Count. Afterward, the volunteers were split into various groups, and given maps before heading to wooded areas and abandoned buildings in Tyler to survey the population of people experiencing homelessness.

The PIT Count is done once a year each January — all in one day. The count helps gather data that is used to receive funding for resources for the homeless population.

The weather on Thursday morning was not as cold previous years which affects the method of counting, according to Richardson, who is a community volunteer with the East Texas Human Needs Network. The ETHNN is a public charity that conducts the PIT Count for Smith County.

“I have not experienced this [weather],” said Richardson. “It’s dry. The sun’s going to come out, but it’s still going to be muddy. So for the PIT count, we always pray for freezing cold because that forces everybody that can get in a shelter to get in a shelter. And then we get a count.”

UT Tyler social work students Tiarrah Wheat, Lluvia Reyes and Michelle Maldonado volunteered for the PIT Count for the first time as a class assignment. Tyler resident Jacob Fevre volunteered for the first time with his mom who also studies social work at UT Tyler.

The group went to a wooded area near Super 1 on East Gentry Parkway. They walked through muddy areas, moving branches as they walked. At one point, they saw what looked like a lived-in area with a makeshift gate, used cups and other belongings. However, they saw no one nearby and walked through more of the wooded area. They later came upon a river and noticed trash and other debris.

Later in the morning, Tyler Police Department officers arrived and escorted volunteers to other areas where people experiencing homelessness may stay. Richardson advised volunteers to approach people in pairs, pay attention to exits, and not to be pushy if the person does not want to respond to their questions.

“Look around, respect properties as much as you can,” Richardson told the volunteers. “If you see some woods, if you see trash or pathways, be cautious. But that’s usually a place. Just look around. There’ll probably be a tent.”

Favre approached people in tents to ask to do the PIT Count survey. Many declined. While walking toward the downtown transportation station, two volunteers successfully surveyed two people. One woman, who has lived in Tyler since she was 17, talked about the need for more resources.

Crystal Cantu, said goodbye to her husband and asked what the survey was for. After Wheat explained, she pulled out the app to start the survey.

In her experience of not having a home, Cantu said she has witnessed men harassing women, including young girls, under the bridge near Valentine Street.

“There’s a lot of girls who gotta go through that,” Cantu said. She felt it was important to share this, hoping it would bring more awareness and prevent more harassment from happening.

Although Cantu needs resources and doesn’t have a place to call home, she is not counted for the population because she is sleeping at her mom’s residence.

The annual PIT Count gives local leaders an idea of the minimum number of homeless people, but it doesn’t capture the entire population. For the purposes of the survey, people are considered homeless if they live in an emergency shelter, transitional housing or are exiting an institution where they temporarily reside; are losing their primary nighttime residence within 14 days and lack the resources or support network to remain in housing; are families with children or unaccompanied youth who have an unstable housing situation or are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence.

In addition to scoping out wooded areas, volunteers also took a look inside of abandoned buildings and hotels. Volunteers use the “known location” methodology to survey people found at sites identified by the community as places where people who are homeless are known to congregate.

Shane Jasper, who serves as the Tyler Police Homeless Outreach Coordinator, pointed out signs of people living at one of the abandoned hotels volunteers visited. He pointed at doors and noted how the locks had been picked.

Later in the day, more volunteers went and counted people at PATH (People Attempting to Help), The Salvation Army of Tyler, and areas downtown at night. The count does not consider those staying in hospitals, jails, rehabilitation or sober living as homeless.

The UT Tyler volunteers learned valuable lessons through their experiencing volunteering for the PIT Count. Maldonado felt it was eye-opening to see the extent of homelessness in Tyler. Reyes learned to look harder to notice the many places unsheltered people stay. Wheat learned how to approach people and enjoyed the experience. Reyes, Maldonado and Wheat said they would all do it again.

“It was a good experience,” Wheat said. “It really was because in social work, you have to step out of your comfort zone … That’s how you build your experience to connect with all ethnicities, all cultures. That’s what I’m about. Now since I did this, I could see myself doing this again (and) being comfortable doing it, because I’ve done it.”

Jasper — who has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement and many years of experience working with the homeless population — said he has noticed rates of people experiencing homelessness increase in Tyler, along with more people living in vehicles.

The preliminary number from the 2024 PIT Count estimates about 343 people are experiencing homelessness in the Tyler area, according to Jackie Clay, CEO of East Texas Human Needs Network. This number reflects a steady increase in the last few years.

The 2023 report counted about 328 people experiencing homelessness in Smith County, and 62 of those were children. Eighteen were veterans, eight more than the number of veterans surveyed in 2022.

In 2022, about 262 people were experiencing homelessness in Smith County, and 48 of those were children. Additionally, 60 reported serious mental illness; 32 reported substance abuse disorder; 3 had HIV/AIDS; and 14 shared they were survivors of domestic violence, according to the 2022 report.

Also in 2023, 36 Smith County unsheltered residents were what is considered chronically homeless, which describes people who have experienced homelessness for at least a year — or repeatedly — “while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability,” according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The majority, or 102 people, surveyed in 2022 said it was their first time experiencing homelessness. That number went down slightly in 2023, as 55% said it was not their first time experiencing homelessness.

Data indicates that the rise in overall homelessness is largely due to a sharp rise in the number of people who became homeless for the first time, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Between 2021 and 2022, the number of people who became newly homeless increased by 25%.

“This rise in first-time homelessness is likely attributable to a combination of factors, including but not limited to, the recent changes in the rental housing market and the winding down of pandemic protections and programs focused on preventing evictions and housing loss,” according to HUD. “Most notably, rental housing conditions were extraordinarily challenging in the year preceding the January 2023 PIT count. This rate of rent growth has now moderated thanks to housing under construction becoming available to rent in the coming year, but the supply shortage of 2022 likely contributed to this increase in rents and homelessness in 2022.”

ETHNN previously reported unemployment and lack of affordable housing are the most significant reasons for homelessness. Physical and mental disabilities follow those.

The PIT Count numbers are expected to be finalized in April. Once the data is released, it is important to note these numbers do not represent the total number of homeless people, but rather those with whom the surveyors talked to on this single date in January.

There are multiple ways to help people experiencing homelessness and the organizations that serve them.

1) Contribute clothing, in-kind services and materials, household goods or other items, books, survival kits, and more to local organizations that serve the homeless population.

2) Raise funds for organizations or give directly to people experiencing homelessness.

3) Smile and be kind. “Making eye contact, saying a few words, or smiling can reaffirm the humanity of a person at a time when homelessness seems to have stripped it away,” NCH said.

4) Advocate by getting connected to local organizations who can help. You can also follow local politics and be informed of politicians who are advocating for change. You can even help a homeless person register to vote. 

5) Reach out by volunteering at a shelter or other outreach opportunities.

6) Educate yourself and share resources with others to better understand the issue of homelessness and what can be done to solve the issue. 

Source: National Coalition for the Homeless