The City of Longview hosted its annual Homeless Resource Day on Thursday, January 27, at the Longview Exhibit Building. Homeless Resource Day connects Longview’s unhoused population with resources and services to assist with basic needs such as shelter, food, and counseling. A variety of direct services were offered at the event, including haircuts, eye exams, and other health checks, COVID-19 vaccinations, and vaccinations for pets. Human Resource Day is a collaborative effort with non-profit partners, such as One Love Longview and Northeast Texas Homeless Coalition, working together with the City of Longview and 150- 200 community volunteers to make the day possible.

The Point in Time (PIT) Count, which is mandated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be conducted (at least) biennially during the last ten days of January, also took place at the event. Longview (Gregg County) is part of the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC), which covers 215 counties across the state of Texas. Longview’s data from the PIT Count is submitted to the Texas Homeless Network (The CoC Lead Agency). Texas Homeless Network (THN) then compiles the data from these counties and submits the information to the HUD. THN provides each county with a report showing the area’s total homeless count and the demographics of those that were surveyed. 45 to 50 volunteers assisted with the PIT Count during Human Resource Day, including 38 nursing students from the University of Texas at Tyler and Community Healthcare.  

A special thank you to AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Sabrina Fields, who assisted with recruiting volunteers, obtaining donations, conducting PIT Count surveys, and creating an amazing space for veterans, men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.