January 7, 2011
The Bill Greehey School of Business is doing its part to help the homeless in our community.
Bill Greehey Chair in Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility K. Matthew Gilley, Ph.D., along with 30 students from his Business Ethics course participated in the annual “Point-In-Time” count of the homeless population, which is coordinated by the City of San Antonio and the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless. An accurate count is critical for San Antonio as it seeks appropriate federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The counting teams were made up of one driver and two or three people to count. Teams were given a map of a specific area of town to cover in their count. Other teams also administered questionnaires to those who were willing to participate.
Once all of the data are collected, Gilley will analyze it to help the City better understand the demographics of San Antonio’s homeless population, as well as their needs, among them shelter, medical care, food and employment opportunities.
A survey conducted in 2009 accounted for 3,300 homeless people in our city, but the count was thought to be off because of frigid temperatures. During this year’s count the weather was mild, so organizers are hoping the count will be more accurate and thus lead to more funding for the City. Last year, San Antonio received $5.5 million in funding based on this survey.