SANTA ANA, Calif. (KNX) — Orange County is gearing up for its annual “Point-in-Time (PIT)” count — a tally each year of the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on selected nights in January.
“The count provides vital information that helps the County of Orange and the Orange County Continuum of Care better understand homelessness in the community and guides the response to homelessness,” the county said in a statement, explaining that the tally is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The 2022 “Sheltered Point In Time Count” will take place the night of Monday, Jan. 24, with the 2022 “Unsheltered Point In Time Count” taking place over three days — Tuesday, Jan. 25 through Thursday Jan. 27.
To gather the data, “volunteer teams comprised of one team captain and three surveyors will be deployed into the community to canvas assigned geographical areas of Orange County,” officials said.
“As homeless individuals are encountered by the teams, the teams will administer a survey utilizing a smartphone application, Survey123, to collect demographics, subpopulation information and answers to local questions.”
The 2021 count was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Orange County Register reported, so this will be the first time in nearly two years that volunteer groups have taken to the streets to record numbers.
CityNet, a nonprofit that offers street outreach and other homeless services, was contracted by the county to organize the county, according to the newspaper. The organization is searching for 650 volunteers to accomplish the 2022 count.
Two virtual information sessions will be held this week, on Wednesday, Dec. 22 and Thursday, Dec. 23 to teach potential volunteers what will be expected of them. To register, click here.
Information from the 2022 Point In Time Count is expected provide us information about the number of people experiencing homelessness in the O.C., locations of where they stay in the county, the demographics of individuals and families and how many people are veterans or persons with mental health concerns or disabilities.
“This information — which volunteers, nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, faith groups, and elected officials come together as a community to gather — helps the organizations working to address homelessness in Orange County identify which services are needed, identify trends and changes in demographics over time and decide how best to work
together to collaboratively solve this complex social issue,” the county said.
The 2020 count revealed more than 580,000 homeless people in the United States, with 226,000 living unsheltered. A vast majority were men, according to the data.
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