"Every two years, hundreds of Oakland residents leave their homes before the crack of dawn and fan out across the city to look for neighbors who sleep on the streets, in parks, and on doorsteps. It's the biennial Point-in-Time Count, a survey of unhoused residents in Alameda County and Oakland. The process is mandated by the federal government for cities and counties that seek financial support to address the homelessness crisis."
"The city is seeking 500 volunteers to help conduct the count. Since putting the call out last week, 300 people have signed up, said city spokesperson Jean Walsh. Two hundred more people are needed. "That's not a small ask, but homelessness is not a small problem," said Mayor Barbara Lee in a press release. "To achieve real solutions, we need data." Volunteers will work in shifts between 5 a.m. and 12 p.m. on the day of the count, and will tally and survey homeless residents."
Every two years, hundreds of Oakland residents leave before dawn to conduct the Point-in-Time Count and locate neighbors sleeping on streets, in parks, and on doorsteps. The federal-mandated survey of unhoused residents in Alameda County and Oakland produces data for policymakers, researchers, community organizations, and funding applications. Oakland's next PIT Count is set for Thursday, January 22, and the city seeks 500 volunteers; 300 have signed up so far. Volunteers will receive training, work shifts between 5 a.m. and 12 p.m., and use a mobile app to tally and survey people experiencing homelessness. The 2024 count recorded 5,485 people, two-thirds unsheltered.
Read at The Oaklandside
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