At a Glance
- The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count runs Jan. 20-22, starting Tuesday in the San Fernando Valley and metro L.A.
- Organizers have 2,950 of the 4,200 volunteers needed, leaving a 1,250-person gap with days to go
- New app-based data tools, extra staff, and streamlined training aim to fix last year’s volunteer shortages
- Why it matters: HUD requires the tally to allocate federal funds, and low turnout could undercount 75,000-plus unsheltered residents
With five days until the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count kicks off, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) still needs 1,200 more volunteers to hit its target, officials told Marcus L. Bennett.
The three-night point-in-time tally, scheduled for Jan. 20-22, will send teams into every region of the county to document how many people are living on streets, in cars, or in makeshift shelters. The results determine how much federal housing and services money flows into the region.
Count Schedule by Region
| Date | Areas Covered |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, Jan. 20 | San Fernando Valley, Metro L.A. |
| Wednesday, Jan. 21 | San Gabriel Valley, East L.A. |
| Thursday, Jan. 22 | Antelope Valley, West & South L.A., South Bay/Harbor |
Cities that run their own tallies-Glendale, Long Beach, and Pasadena-are not included in LAHSA’s request.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, urged residents and municipal employees to sign up immediately.
“It is a volunteer-led count, and the more people that do it, the more accurate the numbers are,” Raman said. “We want everyone to sign up as early as possible. Last year, we had a shortage of volunteers, especially in San Fernando Valley sites.”
LAHSA officials said they have already enrolled 2,950 people through the online portal but need 4,200 to cover every census tract. The agency has streamlined the process to keep volunteers engaged:
- A mobile app handles data entry for the fourth straight year
- Redesigned maps cut down on duplicated routes
- Extra staff will hand out supplies and offer tech help at deployment sites
- Shortened training packets give site coordinators and logistics specialists the same instructions county-wide
The agency is also coordinating with the county Department of Health Services and Emergency Centralized Response Center to send outreach workers into riverbeds, canyons, and other rugged spots too risky for civilians.
Youth and Shelter Tallies Expand
Beyond the street count, LAHSA is lengthening two parallel efforts:
- Youth Count: Nine extra days of surveys for people aged 10-19
- Housing Inventory Count: Earlier launch to verify every emergency shelter, transitional housing unit, and safe-parking site
Both datasets feed into the federal reporting package HUD requires each spring.
Interim LAHSA CEO Gita O’Neill said the agency especially needs help in the San Gabriel Valley, East L.A. County, and the South Bay.
“It takes our entire community to solve homelessness,” O’Neill said. “We are especially looking for additional volunteers in the San Gabriel Valley, East L.A. County, and the South Bay region. The count provides critical insights about our unhoused neighbors. With everyone’s combined efforts, LAHSA can help direct services where they will be most effective to address homelessness in Los Angeles.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can register through LAHSA’s website. New sign-ups receive a 30-minute online training, a region assignment, and a safety briefing before heading into the field.
Key Takeaways
- Time is short: only five days remain to recruit the final 1,200 volunteers
- The count satisfies HUD mandates and steers millions in federal aid
- Improved tech and staff support aim to avoid last year’s volunteer shortfall
- Expanded youth and shelter tallies seek fuller data on hidden homelessness
