This Tuesday, January 20, is the first night of the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The count takes place over three nights in locations all over Los Angeles County but the first night focuses on the San Fernando Valley. You can volunteer to participate by following this link.
Volunteering for the homeless count is a safe, simple way you can help address this long-running problem. Most of us only notice unsheltered people in our own neighborhood or the streets we travel regularly. The countywide count is our best way of assessing the overall state of the problem. The data you collect will help us decide where to allocate funding, services and resources.
We count in the evening (starting around 8 p.m.) when most unsheltered people settle down for the night. Volunteers are assigned in pairs to survey a small area, usually a few blocks, and to record their findings on a mobile phone app. We count by sight only, no direct interaction with homeless individuals is necessary. A complete survey of an assigned area can usually be completed in under two hours.
