Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star Columbia County officials are reporting a dramatic and unprecedented drop in the size of county's homeless population. The decrease occurred during the past 18 months. County Department of Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman reported the homeless figures remained uncharacteristically steady this winter, hovering around 34 people, but that number then fell to 14 on April 1, and down to eight, this week. As recently as the winter of 2010, the county reported a homeless population of 117. The county homeless data is based on the number of people DSS places in emergency housing. Mossman credited a restructured temporary assistance unit for the changes. Read the full story in the Register Star.