Not Enough Volunteers to Successfully Count Unhoused Angelenos This Year
With the rescheduled dates for the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count set for the evenings of Feb. 18, 19, and 20, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is calling for additional volunteers in the Westside area.
As the count approaches its third night on Feb. 20, there are still 332 volunteer slots open in areas including Brentwood, Culver City, Del Rey Playa Vista, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles, and Westwood.
Volunteers can register at count.lahsa.org to participate in the annual initiative, which provides critical data on homelessness throughout Los Angeles County.
“2024 was a year of profound change at LAHSA, and the Homeless Count results provided us with insightful information about the progress we made and the improvements we still need to make,” said Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of LAHSA. “We need our friends and neighbors to come out and help us count again so we can continue to make impactful progress ending homelessness.”
The Homeless Count, conducted annually, mobilizes thousands of volunteers across the county’s 4,000 square miles. Volunteers travel in small groups to assigned census tracts, where they tally the number of unsheltered individuals, tents, vehicles, and makeshift shelters.
LAHSA has introduced several updates to improve the volunteer experience and enhance the accuracy of the count:
- A single website now allows volunteers to create accounts, register, manage their participation, and access training.
- Volunteers who pre-register can electronically sign their liability waivers before arriving at deployment sites.
- A streamlined check-in process aims to reduce wait times at deployment sites.
- A new feature in the Homeless Count app will allow volunteers to track their travel path, ensuring complete coverage within assigned census tracts.
- Paper census tract maps have been redesigned with clearer street names and boundaries.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires a biennial point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness. However, LAHSA has conducted the Homeless Count annually since 2016 to provide more consistent data. The findings help government agencies and policymakers determine where funding and resources can be most effectively allocated to combat homelessness.
Homeless Count Schedule:
- Tuesday, Feb. 18: San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys (SPA 2), Metro Los Angeles (SPA 4)
- Wednesday, Feb. 19: San Gabriel Valley (SPA 3), East Los Angeles (SPA 7)
- Thursday, Feb. 20: Antelope Valley (SPA 1), West Los Angeles (SPA 5), South Los Angeles (SPA 6), South Bay/Harbor (SPA 8)
“The safety of our volunteers and unsheltered neighbors is vital,” said Kellum. “We are grateful for the flexibility and understanding of our partners and volunteers as we strive for a safe count.”
In addition to the general count, the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count also includes the Youth Count and the Housing Inventory Count.
For more information or to volunteer, visit count.lahsa.org.
