Help needed to count homeless

Volunteers sought by county for annual effort

Volunteers are needed to help tally the Antelope Valley’s homeless population for the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.

This year’s point-in-time count will be conducted Jan. 21 to 23 in Los Angeles County. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to count the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Antelope Valley from 6 to 9 a.m. Jan. 23.

As of Friday, 106 people signed up in the Antelope Valley but more people are needed.

The homeless count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and coordinated by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Although HUD requires the count only every two years, L.A. County conducts the count annually to have the most accurate data.

In the Antelope Valley the deployment sites include Acton; Antelope Valley College; Lake Los Angeles; Leona Valley/Lake Elizabeth; east, west, south, and central Lancaster, Littlerock/ Sun Village; and east and west Palmdale.

The count also helps officials figure out where homeless people are so they can better direct outreach efforts.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Volunteer counters typically work in teams of two people who set out in their community to identify and count homeless people in their assigned area. They conduct visual counts of people living on the streets, in tents, in makeshift shelters or in their cars.

Volunteers can visit www.theycountwillyou.org/ volunteer and select the deployment site of their choice.

Last year’s count showed the Valley’s homeless population grew 2.8% to 3,293 persons experiencing homelessness.