More than 800 counted homeless in Lee County in January

STAFF REPORT

The Lee County Homeless Coalition, in conjunction with the Lee County Human and Veteran Services and many volunteers, reported finding more than 800 people homeless in Lee County during a one-week survey in January The number of homeless counted increased by more than one-third over the previous year, with the count occurring a few months after Hurricane Ian

The Lee County Homeless Coalition conducts the annual Homeless Point in Time Count to get an understanding of who and how many are experiencing homelessness in Lee County This count data is provided to the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The count is also used to gather the information that allows local service providers to target services to meet the specific needs of those experiencing homelessness in our communities

During the count conducted January 23-28, volunteers and staff from homeless service providers conducted in-person interviews with persons across Lee County,

VPK vouchers

From page 4

And just 37% of those who didn’t attend at all were considered ready for kindergarten Research by The Children’s Reading Foundation found that children who enter kindergarten one year behind academically have a 26% chance of dropping out of high school Fall behind by two years, and the dropout odds increase to 45% Kids with a three-year learning gap at that point will drop out 55% of the time, research found Such choices, of course, create lifelong hurdles, from housing and employment struggles to well-established income gaps

From page 4 which asked people where they slept, including both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families.

The teams counted 820 homeless in Lee County Of those, 556 were unsheltered and 264 were sheltered (staying in encampments, RV’s or other vehicles or other places not meant for habitation )

Among the 820 were 109 children under 18 There were 86 veterans recorded in the count (a large increase over last year ) The total number of persons estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Lee County increased from 2021 and 2022, which had 394 and 560, respectively

In its findings, the Lee County Homeless Coalition cited Hurricane Ian as contributing to the increase in the homeless population as well as a modified counting methodology in 2021 due to the pandemic

The coalition also cited soaring rents as contributing to the increased estimates in 2023 Of the 820, 197 were chronically homeless according to the HUD definition Housing and service programs for the homeless are compared to those who finish school Fundamentally, it’s a matter of fairness: parents shouldn’t have to choose between early childhood education and covering rent, mortgage payments, utilities, food and other basic household costs

At the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, we stand ready to help parents and guardians enroll their children in either summer preschool, which provides up to 300 hours of classroom time, or the regular school-year program, which provides up to 540 hours of preschool Classes are capped at 12 students in the summer and 20 during the school year provided, in part, through Continuum of Care funds from HUD Lee County was awarded funding to sustain existing programs and begin new programs that provide housing and services to persons experiencing homelessness

These programs are operated by Lee County Human a n d V e t e r a n s S e r v i c e s , C o m m u n i t y A s s i s t e d a n d Supported Living, Catholic Charities, and Southwest Florida Connect SSO-CE The total awarded amount was $2 million

The Lee County Homeless Coalition is an advocacy group made up of individual stakeholders and agencies whose mission is to advocate, educate and promote awareness of obstacles facing the homeless through community collaboration, planning, and implementation of solutions. The Coalition represents the Continuum of Care, a local planning body that coordinates housing and human services funding for homeless families and individuals The objective of the Continuum of Care is to p r o v i d e q u a l i t y s e r v i c e s , p r o g r a m s , a n d r e s o u r c e s t h r o u g h c o o r d i n a t i o n w i t h c o m m u n i t y a g e n c i e s t o improve the quality of life for the homeless

If your child is 4 years old on or before Sept 1 of the current school year, they can sign up Kids whose fourth birthday falls between Feb 2 and Sept 1 can delay their VPK enrollment until next year, when they are 5, provided they don’t yet enroll in kindergarten

Temporary Florida residents are also eligible from military families and seasonal residents to those displaced by natural disasters or whose families are experiencing homelessness

Apply for a VPK voucher today by visiting us online at VPKSWFL org or calling the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest

Florida at 239-935-6100

You can also visit our Fort Myers office on Monday through Friday from 8 a m to 5 p m for assistance, located at 2675 Winkler Ave The office provides free kiosks, and no appointments are needed

Melanie Stefanowicz is chief executive officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida It provides access to early education services for children in Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties For more information, visit https://vpkswfl org/