Volunteers conduct homeless census

Heather Rawlyk

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | 11:08 a.m.

Hundreds of university students and other volunteers finished counting thousands of homeless people at 3:30 this morning in what was the first census of the Las Vegas Valley's homeless population in five years.

Though results of the count were not immediately available, Fred Preston, sociology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and leader of the effort, said he was surprised to find many homeless people in areas where it was thought there were few, and vice versa.

This included a count of more than 100 in the downtown area known as the homeless corridor, the target of several police sweeps in recent years that had presumably scared away many who sleep in the streets. Similarly vacant lots in neighborhoods near Sunrise Mountain were found to have fewer homeless people than expected, Preston said.

"That's why you do a census," Preston said.

The last count in the area was conducted in 1999, when about 6,700 homeless were reported to be on the streets and in shelters throughout Clark County, according to Regina A. Olivares, a spokeswoman for the count.

Those who work with the homeless estimate that number has grown to about 10,000.

The count is an essential step toward increasing the federal funds local governments receive for aid.

The Housing and Urban Development Department gave Las Vegas Valley nonprofit organizations only half the amount they sought this year for homeless services and outreach, citing the lack of a census as one of the reasons.

Results from Tuesday night's count will be available next week. Preston said three sites will be visited again next week to gather additional data. A final report from the census will be issued mid-May, Olivares said.

The census began when volunteers gathered about 9 p.m. Tuesday inside an auditorium at the UNLV Humanities Building, where they picked up flashlights, grid maps and Red Bull energy drinks before hearing instructions from the count's leaders.

About 100 teams of two to three volunteers, including UNLV students and homeless outreach workers, were assigned to geographic grids created for the count, Olivares said.

Each group would take an estimated three hours to count its area, she said.

Members of Metro Police's Homeless Evaluation Liaison Program, also known as HELP, were available for volunteers to call and ask questions or advice. Officers warned volunteers of areas they should avoid.

"A key goal is not to disturb the homeless," Officer Robert Williams, a HELP team member, said. "Homeless people are the easiest to talk to, but don't go into any abandoned buildings or drainage systems, even if you think a homeless person is in there."

At 10:30 p.m. the volunteers dispersed throughout the valley to count.

One of the more experienced teams, which included Bo Bernhard, assistant professor of sociology at UNLV, Andy Feinstein, hotel administration faculty member at UNLV, and Kyler Elwell, a graduate student at UNLV, met at the Key Foundation at 4545 N. Lamb Blvd., near Craig Road, to stock up on coffee before exploring the vacant lots of the neighborhoods just west of Sunrise Mountain.

A homeless man was spotted sleeping inside his vehicle on the side of the road. A security officer on the lot also reported that another homeless man was sleeping around the corner.

With flashlights in hand, the group made their way through the fields in search of more of the area's homeless.

After finding none the team members made their way to the Donovan Way railroad tracks, yelling, "Homeless Outreach, just counting, just counting," to avoid startling any homeless people who may be there. Elwell announced that she found a third homeless person, sleeping in a parked vehicle behind a row of giant crates.

After making their way underneath a row of overpasses, team members came across several campsites filled with makeshift cots, sleeping bags, book bags and cardboard boxes.

The occupants of the makeshift homes, however, were nowhere in sight.

"It may be a little early," Bernhard said. "This may also be a place where they stay two days out of three or they might sleep here during the day and wander at night."

Bernhard's cell phone rang throughout the evening, with group leaders reporting their total counts for him to record.

"The volunteers in the shelter areas are counting high numbers and others are saying they could only find about six homeless," Bernhard said. "They're apologizing for not finding more, but there's nothing to apologize about."