Homeless count could hit 1,200

Last year when temperatures dipped into the teens, census volunteers counted nearly 800 homeless with 659 in shelters and another 129 tucked away in cars, parking decks, under bridges and elsewhere.  Experts believe there may be closer to 1,200. 

Pam O'Neill, of Akron, who has volunteered for 22 years with the St. Bernard Catholic Church sack lunch program, said the number of low-income and homeless people receiving a lunch has increased in recent years. The group serves about 125 people daily.

''These people have become my friends,'' she said. ''They need to know there are people out here that care what happens to them.''

She said they talk about their tents and other items they need to live outdoors.

Susan R. Pierson, chair of the Akron Summit Barberton Continuum of Care for the Homeless, said there are about 955 beds for the homeless throughout Summit, but the county needs about 300 more permanent supportive housing units to care for all of the homeless.

She said she hopes that perhaps 10 to 20 new beds can be added each year to help solve the problem and has set a goal of creating 178 more beds over the next 10 years.

Click on the headline to read the story on the census count by Jim Carney on page 1 in today’s Akron Beacon Journal.