By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – There were 17 known homeless families in Niles in 2005.
"And that's just the ones that came to our facility," said Holly Pomranka, program manager of Residential Services of Southwest Michigan in Niles.
Pomranka's organization is part of the Housing Resource Network of Southwest Michigan, which is a combination of homeless agencies, shelters and providers in Berrien County.
To better assess the extent of homelessness in Niles, the organization will begin administering surveys around the city beginning on Monday.
The group, formerly known as the Homeless Resolution Network – the name was changed in January – was formed to increase the awareness of homelessness and improve homelessness prevention in Berrien County. Participating organizations include emergency shelters and facilities offering traditional, supportive and permanent housing.
"It's not just homelessness, it's the whole gamut of services," Pomranka said.
Representatives from the Michigan Housing Development Authority visited Berrien County in May. The trip was to announce that every Michigan county is being required to form a 10-year plan to end homelessness.
Pomranka said the Housing Resource Network formed a plan and held four community meetings since May to reveal the plan to the public. The problem was, nobody showed up to a couple of the gatherings, Pomranka said.
The process started with a $10,000 grant from the state Housing Development Authority and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Pomranka said a portion of the funds have already been used to send a representative to Washington D.C. to the National Alliance To End Homelessness Conference. The money will also pay for a consultant to write the 10-year plan.
The grant will also be used to conduct the survey in Berrien County, Pomranka said.
"And not just the homeless. We're also trying to find those precariously housed," she said. "The shelters are all full but we don't have an accurate count of those living with other people."
To complete the survey, the Housing Resource Network divided Berrien County into sections according to the county commissioner districts. Pomranka said she is in charge of the surveys in the City of Niles and Niles Township, which are county commissioner districts 11, 12 and 13.
Starting Monday, volunteers will be on the streets of Niles to give people an opportunity to fill out the surveys. The Housing Resource Network will be collecting data through July 28.
Anyone in Niles who would like to complete the survey can also visit both Residential Services offices in Niles – 104 N. Third St. and 1707 Broadway. Or, they can stop by the Ferry Street Resource Center at 620 Ferry St.
The survey contains about 10 questions, Pomranka said. She said the individual or family will be asked where they live now, how much, if any, income they have, how much education they have and if they have any children.
Once completed, the surveys from all 13 districts should give the Housing Resource Network an idea of the needs of each area, Pomranka said. The data will then be used to form the 10-year plan to fight homelessness, she added.
Pomranka said the Housing Resource Network's sub groups will help create the plan.
The organizations deal with all areas of homeless issues including homeless youth, substance abuse, housing groups, education, employment training, domestic violence, and others.
"We put them all together to make one big plan," Pomranka said. "If the state knows were working on it … we're more likely to get money for it."
Some basic information is already known about the homeless situation in Berrien County, Pomranka said. For example, 1,300 people signed up for Section 8 funding two years ago. And, the waiting list for Section 8, which provides low-income individuals and families with funding for housing, is closed.
"The national average age of the homeless in the U.S. is 9," Pomranka said. "And we're seeing that in Berrien County. We want to educate each area on what their needs are."
Pomranka said anyone who is or who knows an individual or family who is homeless or living with another family, does not have a permanent address, cannot afford their own apartment, is behind on their bills or living in a home that is not safe should contact either Residential Services at 681-6552 or 684-8840, or the Ferry Street Resource Center at 687-9860 to complete the survey.