Volunteers Still Needed to Count Murrieta's Homeless Population

MURRIETA, CA — Riverside County officials are still in need of volunteers to help with the upcoming "point in time" count of the homeless population across the region, including here in Murrieta.

According to the Department of Public Social Services, its annual count is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 24 and will involve canvassing multiple locations. Some 500 volunteers are needed to make the project happen.

Last year, 503 individuals volunteered their time to conduct the census, DPSS officials said. The project 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” between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., according to DPSS spokeswoman Mary Parks.

She said the service survey will entail visiting shelter locations between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The 2016 homeless survey identified 1,351 people living on the streets and 884 in shelters countywide, according to DPSS.

Of the unsheltered homeless counted, none were in Murrieta, according to county data. However, nearby Temecula had 37 and Menifee had 20.

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

Registration and more information about the survey is available here.

(Image via Shutterstock)