ROCHESTER, N.Y. – News10NBC Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean went out with a team of volunteers in the middle of the night to count the number of homeless people in Rochester neighborhoods. It’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the city, but it’s a count that must be done every year to get federal housing money.

The count started on North Clinton Avenue, where Brean met Stephen Rosa, a homeless outreach specialist with Persons Centered Housing Options or PCHO. Rosa and his team asked people who were homeless a series of questions, recording the answers on their phones and giving them a gift in return.

One man they interviewed was named Eric.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Where do you sleep at night, Eric?”

Eric: “Anywhere I could find warm basically. Or sometimes I just walk and stay warm to keep warm and keep the blood flowing.”

Berkeley Brean: “How did you end up here?”

Eric: “Just drug use.”

Berkeley Brean: “Was there a time in your life when things just turned that led you here?”

Eric: “Prison time. During a lot of prison time, being away from your family for a long time it’s like you disconnect. You come home and you feel weird around them after going so many years and no visits.”

Rosa asks people for their initials, how long they’ve been homeless, and if they have any illnesses. One man said he’s been homeless for 10 years and is 48 years old. When asked why he’s not in a shelter, the man responded, “I’m on the toilet and one of the workers goes in the bathroom (and looks over the stall) and watches me.”

“So no dignity,” Rosa replied. “Okay.”

Berkeley Brean: “What did you just learn there?”

Stephen Rosa, Homeless Outreach Specialist PCHO: “I do this every day. I see these guys out here every day. And all I learned is that they need to be loved.”

The team also encountered a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was in and out of shelters.

Rosa: “Are you fleeing domestic violence right now? Sexual assault? Anything like that?”
Woman: “Constantly.”

Berkeley Brean: “Stephen, you just interviewed someone who is 30 years old, four months pregnant, and lives on the street.”

Stephen Rosa: “Yep. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it.”

This count is only a snapshot of the homeless in the area, but it shows a trend. In January 2019, they counted 35 people. In January 2023, they counted 42. In January of last year, they counted 80. A report last week by the Office of the New York State Comptroller says the number of homeless in Rochester, Irondequoit, and Greece is 1,056.

Berkeley Brean: “Is the homeless situation getting worse?”

Charles Bollinger, Dep. Dir. Partners Ending Homelessness: “We believe it is. From what we see it is increasing. The sheltered and unsheltered people are increasing across the board.”

Bollinger helps run the agency that encompasses all the work for homeless people, from finding a place to live to getting them services and medical care.

He also coordinated the count.

Berkeley Brean: “I know there’s no silver bullet to any major, complicated problem. But what’s the solution here?”

Charles Bollinger: “Affordable housing. It truly is. It’s enough affordable housing in our area to house these individuals.”

Berkeley Brean: “And we don’t have that?”

Charles Bollinger: “No we don’t. We don’t have enough. We don’t have enough affordable housing.”

Tonya, a homeless woman: “It’s not always a choice. A lot of people out here are here because they choose to be because of their addiction. But there are other people who don’t choose this. It’s just forced upon them.”

The city told News10NBC it spent $19 million building or rehabbing 3,000 affordable living units, including spaces for people getting out of prison or trying to escape abuse. The final tally of the count should be compiled by the spring and given to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to be reported to Congress. To get federal housing money, they have to do this count.

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