The just-completed Point-In-Time survey points to a rise in older people becoming homeless. Trouble is, it’s difficult getting exact numbers through this type of one-on-one survey, because many homeless people are reluctant to share their personal information. To this end, the survey included, not only homeless shelters, but community kitchens and Feeding the Flathead events.
Flathead Warming Center Resource Manager Sean Patrick O’Neill was charged with coordinating the data collection this year, surveying events from Kalispell to Hungry Horse. He notes that, while it appears the number of homeless people is declining, he’s not so sure. Last year, they counted 154-homeless people in Kalispell, down from 199 the previous year.. In 2023 that number was 263 and in 2022 it was 319.
The data collected in Flathead County is shared with the Montana Continuum of Care Coalition, a state agency that helps identify gaps in care. From there, the data goes to HUD to add to the national statistics.
