Over 70 people died while homeless in Wake County. Here’s how they’ll be honored.
They had families.
They worked jobs, served in the military and raised children.
They had names and stories.
They were important.
In Wake County, 74 people died while homeless this year, four times as many as were counted last year.
The deaths came from illness, accidents, suicides and lack of quality care — all challenges people face without permanent housing.
On Wednesday, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, their lives will be honored in candlelight vigils in Wake and Durham counties for Homeless Persons Memorial Day.
The ceremony in Raleigh will be held at 7:15 p.m. outside the South Wilmington Street Center at 1420 S. Wilmington St. near downtown.
In Durham, the ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. in Durham Central Park on Foster Street.
Homeless Persons Memorial Day is a national recognition every Dec. 21, marking the winter solstice and highlighting the harsh winter conditions vulnerable residents experience.
“It’s important that we take the opportunity to remember those individuals that were homeless or maybe were homeless in the past that have passed away,” said Frank Lawrence, the director of the South Wilmington Street Center in Raleigh. “It’s very easy for them to be forgotten. If the community doesn’t do that, they might not be recognized at all.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of unsheltered people who died in Wake County stood at 74, which is nearly four times the number who died last year.
That number could grow further by Wednesday’s vigil, Lawrence said.
Wake County, which operates the South Wilmington Street Center, a shelter for men, works with others to collect the names of those who’ve died.
Homelessness by the numbers
This year’s list of names is the longest the center has compiled since it began holding memorials in 2004, Lawrence said.
“We are constantly getting feedback from the community, and we don’t want to leave anyone out,” he said. “It’s a very large number. And I know that it’s been a very challenging year for everyone. So this may be a correlation.”
Those who have died ranged in age from 18 to over 50.
Lawrence said the causes vary. Certain illnesses or exposures are exacerbated by homelessness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that homelessness is closely linked to declines in physical and mental health, high rates of disease, mental illness, drug abuse, and other health issues.
“The homeless community are at a greater risk of chronic health conditions because of the lack of access to health care. Not because it’s not available but (people) may not have the ability to connect,” he said.
One person died this year from suicide, Lawrence said. Another person, Eddie Flythe, 53, died after being accidentally hit by a car in Raleigh.
“This time of year is a challenge for people because they’re homeless, they don’t have contact with family members, and it’s the holidays,” he said. “There are a number of reasons and their lifestyle kind of lends itself to these types of risks that most of us are not exposed to.”
In its latest report, the Wake Continuum of Care estimated that 1,534 people in Wake County have experienced homelessness this year. This number is up from 912 in 2021 and from 769 people in 2020.
Of that number,
▪ 11% are young people ages 18-24
▪ 1,124 are African American, 287 are white, 252 are Hispanic/Latino, 87 are mixed-race, and 36 are Asian, American Indian or Pacific Islander.
▪ Females also make up just over half of Wake County’s unsheltered population at 791, followed by 724 males, 13 transgender people and six gender non-conforming people.
Additionally, at the end of the 2019 school year, 4,076 students were categorized as homeless in the county.
In their list of names, Lawrence did not have any names of children who died while homeless in the county but said they does not mean there aren’t any. The deaths are spread out over the entire year of 2022.
“This effort is one that the community believes in and believes that these individuals deserve to have this memorial to recognize them and celebrate,” Lawrence said. “This is a celebration. These individual were making steps to change their lives. We want to recognize that.”
Wake County residents who are looking for shelter, are experiencing homelessness or are at risk are encouraged to contact House Wake! Access Hub. People can call 919-443-0096 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The organization is the intake and referral portal for people in the county and can connect them to agencies providing services and resources like emergency shelter and rapid re-housing.
Durham memorial vigil
Durham Congregations in Action will also hold an annual vigil from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Farmers Market Pavilion in Durham Central Park, 501 Foster St.
As of a 2021 census, Durham had 134 people who lived unsheltered, according to a news release.
“On this longest night of the year, all faith communities and the public are invited to share in a time of spiritual song, prayer, eulogy, and reflection as we remember (by name) Durham neighbors living in homelessness who died during 2022,” organizers said in the release.
This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 11:41 AM.