Tagged: Homeless

More than 2,500 individuals in New Hampshire are homeless, a 6% jump from a year ago. The data comes from a one-night census that took place in January.

Roughly half of the homeless are concentrated in Hillsborough County.

The Homeless Center for Strafford County provides seasonal overnight shelter to single women and families. Almost half the people staying in the shelter are children – nearly all under five years old. Susan Ford directs the shelter and understands her clients’ first-hand. 

On any given evening in Manchester, roughly 50 people sleep in hidden camps, under bridges, in cars and inside abandoned buildings. Despite the extreme cold, last night was no exception.

It was also the night a group of volunteers fanned out to count homeless people as part of an annual census. 

They gathered at Families in Transition, a homeless services agency.There’s coffee, donuts, and also detailed maps of Manchester, with yellow Post-its marking places where homeless people often sleep.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says that homelessness has dropped by 3 percent since last year.

The numbers are from an annual one-day count on January 25th that targeted welfare offices, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and other organizations. According to Maureen Ryan of the Bureau of Homeless and Housing Services, it’s the first time in a decade that homelessness has fallen in New Hampshire.