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News / Clark County News

Point-in-Time Count workers collect data, offer resources to Clark County’s homeless

Project Homeless Connect brings together service providers in one place

By Mia Ryder-Marks, Columbian staff reporter
Published: January 31, 2025, 2:01pm
5 Photos
Shannon Yirka, right, scratches the ear of her 19-year-old pug, Pixie Momma, center, who is held by Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s Ian Vossler on Thursday, during the Project Homeless Connect resource fair at New Life Friends Church in Vancouver. Yirka brought Pixie Momma and her two sons, Idgie and Pug Pug (not pictured), to the fair for shots and checkups.
Shannon Yirka, right, scratches the ear of her 19-year-old pug, Pixie Momma, center, who is held by Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s Ian Vossler on Thursday, during the Project Homeless Connect resource fair at New Life Friends Church in Vancouver. Yirka brought Pixie Momma and her two sons, Idgie and Pug Pug (not pictured), to the fair for shots and checkups. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

A team of outreach workers moved through an east Vancouver homeless camp Thursday as dawn’s first light touched the horizon.

Among them was Jason Paggett, who, after overcoming homelessness and addiction, now works to help others. As part of the annual Point-in-Time Count, which tallies the number of people homeless on a single day, the Council for the Homeless team went from tent to tent, distributing supplies and quietly gathering data. Their voices blended with the hum of nearby Interstate 205, and their breath hung in the chilly air.

Paggett said the Point-in-Time Count helps homeless services providers understand not only who is homeless in the community but also their needs.

“I give them a little of my experience,” he said, “but it may not be what works for them. I just know my life is better than I ever imagined.”

The Clark County data they collect will feed into a national database that’s meant to capture a snapshot of American homelessness in one day. Outreach workers, including those from Vancouver-based Council for the Homeless, fan out across the county asking people demographic-specific questions and where they will be sleeping that night.

“A large data count like this is really important for us to be able to know who’s out here and also what people need,” program manager Maya Handin said.

New beginnings

The Point-in-Time Count helps connect people to resources and build trust with providers. As outreach workers engaged with people Thursday morning, they also told them about Project Homeless Connect, a one-stop shop for services later that day that can help people work toward their goals, including getting a driver’s license or moving into housing.

By late morning, the doors of New Life Friends Church in central Vancouver were filled with a mix of residents and service providers.

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While the event is called Project Homeless Connect, it offers assistance to a range of community members. Service providers from organizations such as Sea Mar, Veterans Affairs and the Washington State Department of Licensing were on hand. Visitors could also enjoy a meal, get a haircut or pick up a new coat from the clothing drive.

A longtime crowd favorite was the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.

Christina Loy waited for her number to be called so she could take her dog in for a checkup.

“Events like this are critical because a lot of people can’t afford to take their pets to the veterinarian, and these (pets) are our lifelines,” she said as her 10-year-old Chihuahua, Rosie, nestled deeper into her neck. After Rosie’s checkup, Loy planned to explore some of the housing resources available inside.

Couve Collective organized the event for the second year in a row. As Clark County’s needs evolve, the organizers of Project Homeless Connect strive to tailor the vendors to meet the needs of everyone who walks through the door.

Felicia Hubach, co-founder of Couve Collective, said it focused on providing services for all age groups this year.

“We really tried to make sure that we had services for youth to veterans to seniors. … As a lot of people that work in nonprofits, we’re middle-aged, so that’s our natural inclination — what we think about and we might gear our services to 20- to 40-year-olds,” Hubach said. “With this one, we tried to make sure we hit the full demographics.”

Kristy Salt attended the resource fair to continue working toward her goal of getting into permanent housing.

The Columbian met Salt in September after a warming fire scorched part of her encampment nestled on a rolling hill. She now lives in her car with her dog, Gracie. She’s collecting Social Security payments and working with a case manager.

At Project Homeless Connect, she was exploring other housing options and potentially a part-time job.

“I’ve made some good connections here. Everything is falling together for me,” Salt said. “It will take time, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.”

Community Funded Journalism logo

This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.

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