This month, social workers and volunteers who help with the homeless across Kansas finally get to see what a picture, taken eight months ago, has developed into. But some significant data is missing from the picture.
In January, volunteers in Barton County took part in the 2013 Point-in-Time Count to determine the scope of homelessness in this area.  It was part of a count conducted by the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, and is an ongoing requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to receive funding for homeless programs statewide.
Barton County is part of the Balance of State Continuum of Care, which encompasses all of rural Kansas.  The Kansas City area, Sedgwick County and Topeka each have their own continuums of care, Catholic Social Services social worker Patty McGurk said.  
McGurk was in charge of a group of volunteers from Barton, Pawnee and Barber counties who surveyed individuals for a week at the end of January to determine if and why they were homeless.  Several volunteered in Barton County, but very few in Pawnee and Barber counties.  Only people who were unhoused, or staying in emergency or transitional housing were counted, but Barton and Pawnee County volunteers also collected data on those “doubling up,” and discovered there are many who fit this category.  In fact, as far as homelessness goes, in both counties, it appears to be the trend, McGurk said.
During the week volunteers counted, emergency and transitional housing were where the majority of Barton County’s homeless reside.  Most were adults, but three were children.  Only one adult was unsheltered.  However, seven adults and seven children, for a total of seven households, were “doubling up” in Barton County.  

The numbers
Race and ethnicity indicators for Barton County showed the majority of homeless were white and Hispanic.  It was a pretty even split, gender-wise, with 11 men and 13 women, as well as two unknown counted.  Three were veterans, and four were in foster care, while one was considered chronically homeless.  Twelve were employed.  
In Pawnee County, where there is no emergency or transitional housing, three adults were counted as unsheltered, while nine people, including three children, were counted as “doubling up.” Five were men and two were women, and most were white, followed by black or African American.  One veteran, one in foster care and two chronically homeless were among those counted.  Four were employed.
In both counties, the top two factors shared with volunteers that led to homelessness were alcohol and drug use and a lack of affordable housing.  However, if the working poor can’t earn enough to afford the available housing, the lack of a living wage becomes the deeper factor.

Wages and employment
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, which in 2009 published a policy report on rural homelessness, ending homelessness in rural areas requires jobs that pay a living wage.  According to McGurk, a living wage in Barton County is at least $10.38 an hour, for 40 hours a week.  Few entry level or fast-food industry positions, at which many of the poor are employed in either county offer starting pay in excess of the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  And many do not provide full-time employment.
In January, Catholic Social Services began administering a grant for transitional housing for the homeless.  So far, 16 applications have been received, but not all are qualified.  Many applicants have been placed on a waiting list. The program helps with rent, but the recipients need to be able to pay for utilities and other living expenses, McGurk said.
“They need to be employed,” she said.  This can be a major hurdle for some who have felony records or drug and alcohol abuse problems, she added.  Applicants also have to have an acceptable rental history for a new landlord to be willing to rent to them.  “Sometimes, people make choices when they’re young, not realizing the ramifications they will have later on.”  

web resources:  
National Coalition for the Homeless,  http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/rural.html
Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, http://kshomeless.com/balance-of-state-point-in-time-count