BUTTE

the report, said the report gives background and narrative to how the count is conducted.

Morgado said there is a disclaimer in the report that it is likely an undercount because of various factors that change year to year with each census. The report makes minimal comparisons year over year because of this, she said.

“It’s really important to remember each PIT study is always snapshot in a moment in time, and it’s subject to many variables. And many of these are absolutely impossible to control,” Morgado said. “So in general, it’s always appropriate to assume for any PIT study that it undercounts those experiencing homelessness.”

Included in the report are all the questions asked to unhoused people and how the answers translate into this report, Morgado said.

The report will be available to the public at https://www. buttehomelesscoc.com/ reports1.html.

Study highlights

The report highlights several subjects of note about the data collected,

including jurisdictional and demographic breakdowns.

With 1,237 people reported experiencing homelessness in the county, 925 were from Chico, 24 were from Gridley and Biggs, 277 were from Oroville and 11 were from ridge communities.

Regarding household type, 84% of households were without children,

12% of households had at least one child and 4% of households consisted only of children, according to the report.

Morgado said that households with at least one child may be undercounted because their child was in school, and the survey requires them to be present.

In regards to sheltering status, 47% of respondents were unsheltered. In Gridley, Biggs and Ridge communities, 100% of respondents were unsheltered; in Oroville, 65% reported being unsheltered and in Chico, 40% reported being unsheltered.

The report describes chronic homelessness as being homeless for at least a year or more while struggling with a serious mental illness, substance use disorder or physical ability.

The report counted 379

people who are chronically unhoused — 31% of the total count. The report said this is an ongoing decrease from what was reported in 2017 when 49% of respondents met the definition.

“This may be a reflection of efforts made to implement housing first principles and rapidly rehouse individuals, especially in Chico,” the report said.

People who reported being unhoused for the first time accounted for 30% of the total count. The report said the figures were pronounced in the Ridge communities.

The report noted 7% of respondents identified as American Indian or Alaskan native and said this disproportionately impacts homelessness relative to the population countywide, which is

2.7% according to the U.S. Census 2022 population estimates.

For youth homelessness, 157 people were counted ages 0-24. Of children under the age of 18, 43 were under five, 34 were ages 5-12 and 16 were ages 13-17.

Informing decisions

Data collected in the annual Point-in-time counts are used to

apply for grant funding from the state and to inform decisions at the organization level.

Director of Catalyst Domestic Violence

Services Anastacia Snyder said she looks at the PIT report specifically around people without homes and experiencing domestic violence.

“Interestingly enough, that number has remained fairly unchanged year to year, so that’s something for our organization to be thinking about,” Snyder said.

Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services administrator

Erin Murray said that a lot of the additional data collected, including needs and wants from unhoused people, help inform the Continuum of Care as a whole to make decisions of where to provide services — especially where gaps are noted.

“In my experience with the county Department of Employment and Social Services, we’re really leaning on that data to decide or help influence what methods we want to try; what different interventions that need to be looked into, and align on the overall picture within the jurisdiction” Murray said.