Its StreetCount time again

 Cedar Creek won't be getting much sleep next Wednesday, but we'll be in the best of company. June 6th is Melbourne City Council StreetCount2012 and Cedar Creek is proud to once again be involved in this important project. Over 100 volunteers, many of them workers in the homeless sector and Council staff walk the city streets from 4:00 am until 7:30 am and record every contact with homeless people.  Where possible, short surveys of rough sleepers are recorded.  The data is used to inform Council's homelessness policy - Pathways, which provides a framework for different activities aimed at building pathways out of homelessness.This is StreetCount's fifth year.  Ninety eight people rough sleepers are recorded, on average, each year.  Most- around 70%  - are single men and about two thirds are between 25 and 60 years of age.  Council acknowledges the many limitations of the methodology - the count covers only 20% of the City for a few hours on one day in the middle of Winter.  Because of the nature of rough sleeping, women and young people, who are less likely to sleep in public places, are all but excluded and the numbers can't be taken as an accurate reflection of the extent of rough sleeping even among older men.  The consistency of the data shows that there are, at a minimum, around 100 people not accommodated in homeless shelters in Melbourne. Cedar Creek worked with Council last year to collate and analyse the results of the 2011 count and provide recommendations about ways to eradicate homelessness in the city.  We're proud and excited to be invited back to analyse the 2012 count.You can find out more StreetCount here