Politics & Government
San Diego County Encourages Residents To Volunteer For Homeless Count
Around 300 county employees volunteer for the pre-dawn count each year, but it takes more total volunteers to be effective in the count.
SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County officials Wednesday encouraged residents to volunteer for this year's annual Point-in-Time Count, a one-day snapshot of the region's homeless population scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29.
Around 300 county employees volunteer for the pre-dawn count each year, but it takes more -- around 1,700 -- total volunteers to be effective in the count, which runs from 4-8 a.m.
The annual Point-in-Time Count is coordinated by San Diego's Regional Task Force on Homelessness and provides a one-day total of the number of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County, including those in emergency shelters and safe parking lots.
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"The Point-in-Time Count is a vital tool that helps us understand homelessness in our community and shape how we approach solutions," said Dijana Beck, director of County Office of Homeless Solutions. "Every volunteer plays a critical role in ensuring we have accurate data to secure resources and create programs that make a real difference. We encourage county residents to join us in this effort."
Last year, the number of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County dropped by 7%, and dropped by about 14% in the city of San Diego, according to the data. The volunteers found no fewer than 9,905 people experiencing homelessness throughout the county, down from 10,605 in 2024.
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Last year's data showed 5,714 unsheltered San Diegans and 4,191 individuals in shelters and transitional housing.
The RTFH organizes and trains the volunteers. Registration is still open. Those who sign up will go out in small groups to help conduct a brief survey and do a headcount of people they encounter living outside. Volunteers can select designated areas of the region to participate, according to a county statement.
The information collected is used to apply for federal and state funding to help people experiencing homelessness.
Those interested can register at rtfhsd.org/about-coc/weallcount-pitc/.
— City News Service
