Volunteers Needed to Help Count Homeless in Banning, Beaumont

A Riverside County agency Tuesday announced the need for hundreds of volunteers to assist with tallying the number of homeless people throughout the county, including in the Banning and Beaumont areas.

According to the Department of Public Social Services, its annual “Point-in-Time Homeless Count” is slated for Jan. 26 and will involve canvassing multiple locations.

Last year, 533 individuals volunteered their time to conduct the census, and DPSS officials said at least 500 are needed for the upcoming count, which is mandated under a U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development grant.

The count will be split between a street-level operation and a “service- based survey,” officials said.

During the street walk, volunteers will visit parks, alleyways, overpasses and encampments to gauge the number of people “living in places unfit for human habitation,” according to DPSS spokeswoman Mary Parks.

She said the service survey will entail visiting shelter locations.

The 2015 homeless survey identified 1,587 people living on the streets and 883 in shelters countywide, according to DPSS.

Of the unsheltered homeless counted, 30 were in Banning and 14 were in Beaumont, according to county data.

The total, 2,470, compares to roughly 6,200 people counted four years ago, agency figures show.

Officials said all volunteers are welcome, including college students, nonprofit workers, members of community service clubs and affiliates of faith- based organizations.

Registration and information about the survey is available here: www.RiversideHomelessCounts.com .

— City News Service contributed to this report. (Image via Shutterstock)