Homeless Counts and the annual slice in time so to speak

Last month Jacksonville and other cities nationwide participated in the annual event of counting as many homeless people as possible in each of their communities, even though the numbers are baloney in the minds of many advocates and employees of service providers themselves...which won't admit the fact.

One problem in particular is the Federal Government's Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). While one Federal Act identifies a child as homeless, HUD policy does not. While one Act identifies a family doubling up or someone couch surfing, HUD policy does not.

People are human beings and sometimes someone needs to point out that when you have two Federal regulations that oppose each other in their definition of people, it's wrong.

When we can make something as simple as a sleep number bed that can adjust to the task for consumers to purchase, we can pay attention to the laws and Acts we pass that dictate how we do and interpret things for providing services to our most needy.