In an effort to address homelessness, Governor Matt Mead signed a proclamation today declaring Jan. 27, 2016 as Homeless Count Day in Wyoming.

Brenda Lyttle, Senior Administrator of the Assistance Division for the Wyoming Department of Family Services, says it's hard to get an accurate count of how many individuals and families are truly homeless in the state.

"Last year we had almost 800 folks that we counted as homeless," said Lyttle. "We know that that's not an accurate number because we know that there are people we saw that we believed were homeless, but that didn't want to answer our survey."

Lyttle says they're making a renewed effort to reach out to shelters and local police departments to try to locate the homeless.

"We found that spreading the word through other folks that may be in shelters or living on the street is often times the best way to reach people," said Lyttle.

Homeless Count Day activities will be held statewide. Here in Cheyenne, folks can go to the Depot or COMEA Shelter to get a meal and identify themselves as homeless.

"We're hoping this year we get the most accurate count we've ever had," said Lyttle. "That will give us a better idea of maybe how many we've missed in the past."

Joy Greenwald, Townsquare Media
Joy Greenwald, Townsquare Media
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