SACRAMENTO, Calif — City officials in Sacramento are calling on members of the public to volunteer for this year's annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness.
The annual count, conducted by the Sacramento Continuum of Care, is mandated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This year's count is slated to be held on Feb. 23 and 24. The count was originally scheduled for Jan. 26 - Jan 27 before being delayed because of recent COVID-19 surges.
The PIT count will gather data on the number of people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, which coordinators say will reveal trends in different demographics of people experiencing homelessness.
Volunteers are needed to canvas the streets to count and survey members of the homeless population, facilitate activities and volunteer check-ins at deployment centers. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, must be able to use personal supplies such as a smartphone and flashlight, must be willing to travel by foot or car and must attend training and sign up for at least one shift.
Those interested in helping are also required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and cannot be displaying any symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID. Volunteers must be able to show proof of vaccination.
While the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the PIT count every two years, it didn't take place in 2021 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers who conducted the homeless count 2019 learned there were about 5,570 people experiencing homelessness within Sacramento County on any given night, a 19% increase from the 2017 count.
More details on the count and a form to sign up to volunteer can be found on the Sacramento Steps Forward website.
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