Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/122777
THE SURVEY SAYS ... A homeless person sleeps on the ground in Five Points Park. Photo by Norman Schimmel REPORT SHOWS SPIKE IN NUMBER OF SUNCOAST HOMELESS By Cooper Levey-Baker Associate Editor The unemployment rate may be down and the housing market might be rebounding, but that doesn't mean there are fewer homeless in the area. In fact, the opposite is true. refined survey techniques, according to Partnership Executive Director Leslie Loveless. Overall, the Partnership's 2011 "Homeless Census" showed 1,242 homeless, while this year's "Point-in-Time Count" identified 2,054 A new report issued by the Suncoast Partnerhomeless. The number of homeless kids grew ship to End Homelessness shows a 65 percent from 44 to 444 — a figure Loveless calls "heartincrease in Sarasota and Manatee counties' breaking." homeless population since 2011 — including a 10-fold increase in the What's worse: Those number of homeless new numbers are children. If you don't have housing, then probably on the low you can't get your shower and get your end. Those numbers sound clean clothes and get to work on time. shocking, but the "It certainly is represpike is due at least sentative of the homeLeslie Loveless Executive Director in part to shifting defiless population in the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness nitions of homelesscommunity, but that ness, as well as more doesn't mean we were