Iberia Homeless Shelter outreach supervisor Thaddeus Robinson, left, talks with a homeless man Tuesday. 

All throughout southwest Louisiana, the Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing were scouring the area searching for people who were homeless Monday night, including Iberia Parish.

Every January, ARCH takes a survey of people who are sleeping outside or in a temporary place and need shelter. Once someone homeless arise found, a survey is distributed in order for those invested in fighting homelessness to have a better idea of how many are without homes on a single night.

In Iberia Parish, the Iberia Homeless Shelter has traditionally led the effort. Director Steven Etienne said that finding local homeless people this year has been easy, but an upsurge of drug use in the area has led to what he thinks will be a bigger number than last year’s survey.

“I do this every year. I’ve got it like clockwork,” Etienne said Tuesday. “I go to the stores where they hang out. This year it’s easier, but I think our numbers are going to be higher.”

Part of the reason for more homeless, Etienne said, is more people are using crystal meth and legal synthetics.

“That’s a whole different ballgame from when I started doing this,” he said. “When I started we had a crack epidemic that was tearing apart the community. Now the trend has changed. We were dealing with a lot of single males back then, and for some reason this affects the whole family. That’s kind of what our task is right now.”

Harold LaPorte, a volunteer for the program, recounted an instance of finding a man asleep in the middle of the day.

For years, the Iberia Homeless Shelter primarily served as a men’s shelter to assist men in getting a job and back on their after experiencing homelessness. Over the past few years, however, Etienne said the shelter has had to wear more hats.

Due to a federal mandate, the emphasis for fighting homelessness is more focused on permanent housing and coordinated assessment. Etienne said the shelter also has had to extend its reach to St. Martin Parish this year to count the homeless there.

“We have a team of about 11 people in Iberia and St. Martin,” Etienne said. “We found some in St. Martin, but I’m from there and I know where to look.

In 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development counted a total of 2,681 homeless households in Louisiana and 3,059 homeless people.

The latest information from 2017 showed 25 homeless people counted in Iberia Parish.