Homeless Census Shows Fewer People on the Streets

The number of people classified as homeless in Louisville has dropped drastically in the last year, but advocates say it’s because of a much more stringent definition of the word.Federal funds to help the homeless are handed out through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development – or HUD. They dispense funds according to need, based on an annual homeless census and point-in-time surveys.Coalition for the Homeless Director Marlene Gordon says the number of homeless in Louisville dropped to just under nine-thousand, from more than 11-thousand the previous year. She says there aren’t fewer homeless in Louisville, but the census number are more accurate than in years past.“These numbers are much better than we’ve had in the past because we were just so focused on doing it accurately," says Gordon, "so I don’t think while the numbers look lower the need is great and maybe even greater.”Gordon says they hope the lower numbers don’t mean a drop in funding from HUD. She says they should be rewarded for doing a more accurate survey.