By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The City of St. Louis says that the number of homeless has decreased 26 percent since 2004. Officials say that's based on a one-night homeless count in January, which found 1386 individuals in local shelters.
But Pastor Ray Redlich with the New Life Evangelistic Center, which also houses the homeless, says those numbers sound low to him,
"We're certainly not seeing a reduction in homelessness. I mean I go out on winter patrol quite frequently and I've seen more people out on the streets this winter I believe than any other winter in the past."
Two years ago, Mayor Francis Slay set a goal of ending homelessness in the city within ten years.