The recent news from the Point in Time Count, that showed a drop in the number of people experiencing homelessness (“What’s behind the drop in Maine’s homelessness numbers?” July 14), is encouraging, but there are gaps in the process and it doesn’t paint a full picture. The Opportunity Alliance works diligently to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness in York and Cumberland counties. Unfortunately, we have not seen a decline in demand for these programs.

The Opportunity Alliance’s Homeless Youth Services program supports children and teens who are at risk of homelessness or are currently experiencing it. We support families as they stay on a friend’s couch or are in a hotel. Because they are not always on the street or in a shelter, the more than 50 families we serve at any time are not captured by the data. But they are still affected by homelessness.

Second, I think it’s important to note that it is not uncommon for individuals to decline to participate in the Point in Time Count. It would be speculative to say why, but homelessness comes with a lot of fear of safety, risk of location disclosure and many other factors that many of us could not begin to understand. Participating in this survey may feel like a risk they may not want to take.

While we celebrate wins, let’s not lose sight of all the work that still needs to be done to ensure everyone has safe, secure housing.

Ashley Goulet
Vice President of Operations, The Opportunity Alliance
Arundel