Each year the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, Inc. (Suncoast Partnership) on behalf of the Sarasota/Manatee Continuum of Care compiles the Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count. This survey provides a snapshot of homelessness in Sarasota and Manatee County on a single night, January 27 to January 28 of 2020. While it is not possible to count every homeless person, the methodology used in our communities includes gathering information from those who are in emergency shelters and transitional housing, engaging in outreach efforts in known areas where unsheltered homeless persons may be gathered and a general canvassing in our communities to capture the best picture possible. The count allows us to look at trends over the years by using consistent methodology. The overall number of homeless persons surveyed in Sarasota and Manatee Counties is 1,044, a decrease of 8% from 2019. The count for Sarasota County decreased by 4.1% while the Manatee County count decreased by 12.4%. Chris Johnson, CEO of the Suncoast Partnership talked about the results of the count. “Our area continues to be one in which affordable and attainable housing are hard to come by. The lack of attainable housing continues to be a driving factor of homelessness as well as the prevalence of families who are one paycheck away from homelessness as identified by the United Way ALICE Report. One very promising data point coming out of the Point in Time this year is the 23.6% decrease in chronically homeless individuals in our community. This is a testament to the efficacy of our Coordinated Entry System and the commitment of our community to serving those of highest vulnerability. This focus coupled with Housing First best practices, the Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing interventions championed by our local Service Providers, and the commitment from the counties, cities, and our philanthropic partners has made this possible. The 9% drop in unsheltered homeless individuals and families is also to be commended as this shows the outcome of outreach efforts and connection with those unsheltered individuals by moving them through community’s Homeless Crisis Response System towards housing.”

Click here for the interactive dashboard.