© 2024 KVPR | Valley Public Radio - White Ash Broadcasting, Inc. :: 89.3 Fresno / 89.1 Bakersfield
89.3 Fresno | 89.1 Bakersfield
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
76 new monthly members to go to reach our March goal! Start a new monthly gift today, or increase your existing monthly donation to help us reach the goal.

As Annual Count Wraps Up, Fresno Mayor Predicts An End To Homelessness In Two Years

Jeffrey Hess/KVPR
Mayor Ashley Swearengin

Thursday is the final day of annual count of the 2016 homeless people in Fresno. City leaders have extolled the progress in reducing the number homeless people while at the same time defending its method of counting the homeless population.

Last year’s count showed a dramatic decline in Fresno’s homeless population.

Advocates criticized the report because it followed the city breaking up homeless encampments and therefore they claim it did not count a sizable portion of the population.

Jody Ketcheside with the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care stands by the count saying this year they are sending more volunteers than ever to canvas every inch of the city looking for homeless people.

“I believe in those numbers. That reduction. And we had an increased number in beds available. And we have had some technical assistance come in to help us be more efficient getting people into housing. So we are just better at what we do,” Ketcheside said.

Mayor Ashley Swearengin believes Fresno is two years away from eliminating long term homelessness in the city, which she calls ‘functional zero’.

“Obviously there is a constant flux that happens and additional people become homeless. But essentially we will have the size of system we need to serve the people who are on the street,” Swearengin said.

Swearengin also cites a big increase in the number of available long term housing in Fresno as one reason for the decline.

The results of the survey will not be available until next year.

Jeffrey Hess is a reporter and Morning Edition news host for Valley Public Radio. Jeffrey was born and raised in a small town in rural southeast Ohio. After graduating from Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio with a communications degree, Jeffrey embarked on a radio career. After brief stops at stations in Ohio and Texas, and not so brief stops in Florida and Mississippi, Jeffrey and his new wife Shivon are happy to be part Valley Public Radio.