SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Social service advocates say the latest count of those without a permanent address in Sioux Falls doesn’t accurately reflect the level of the city’s homeless population.
Sioux Falls Advisory Board coordinator Stacey Tieszen says the annual homeless count this year is misleading. It shows a decline of about 100 people identified as homeless since last year. Tieszen says the number is much higher than the 322 homeless people counted.
The Argus Leader (https://argusne.ws/2qVXQ9A ) says volunteers who counted the homeless this year used an automated survey system, which Tieszen says created challenges in getting an accurate count. A snow storm the day of the count also drove many people away from the places where surveyors typically find the homeless.
The advisory board updates the count each spring for elected leaders to illustrate how social programs and outreach efforts are effecting the homeless population.
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Information from: Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com
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