Elmira Star-Gazette
Corrected: An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated the number of people who were counted in homeless shelters in Tompkins County.
If you've watched your heat bill go up over the last few months, or spent hours shoveling mountains of snow, you know this winter has been brutal across the Southern Tier and beyond.
If you're living on the streets, the reality is even more painful.
Catholic Charities and other organizations conduct a survey every January to provide a snapshot of the homeless situation in each county.
It's a requirement for federal funding, and it also gives those organizations an idea of the extent of the problem and look at ways to address it.