Greene County sees increase in homeless count [Video]

GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness has conducted its annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, determining how many people in the region are experiencing homelessness.

Greene County seeing increase in homeless students

According to last year’s PIT count, Greene County had 26 people experiencing homelessness. Twenty of those people were staying in emergency shelters and six had no home at all.

This year’s data show that the total has increased to 81 people: 25 in emergency shelters and 56 living without a home.

The C.A.R.E Center in Greeneville is one organization working to help those experiencing homelessness in the area and they say that the PIT count numbers this year were lower than the reality.

“I believe there’s probably about 150 homeless people and families altogether,” said Ismael Castro, co-founder of the C.A.R.E Center. “Not just individuals, but families also.”

PIT count in Greene County higher than last year

Finding an accurate number of the homeless population can be tricky. The Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness (ARCH)uses a volunteer …