TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness is getting ready for their annual point in time count. Volunteers head out into the community to survey those experiencing homelessness. This year, the count will take place on January 26th from 6a.m. to 11a.m.
Claudia Powell, the street count work group lead, said it's a way for people to get to know their community and give back.
"From year to year that varies but we try to have somewhere near 300 volunteers," Powell said. "People are grouped into teams and they go out into different sectors of the community and interview people that have slept outside the night before."
Powell said they ask that all volunteers are wearing a mask at all times and are fully vaccinated by January 26th. The count is done every year to comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's funding requirements.
"We look at that data and have more information about how the people are that are experiencing homelessness," she said. "But in a bigger picture, HUD uses that data to inform funding allocations so that data directly plays into how much money our community gets for our funding programs."
The point in time count usually happens at the end of January because the cold weather leads to full shelters, so the count creates a snapshot of the need for those still sleeping outside.
If you'd like to volunteer, you can find the sign up sheet and more information to do so here.
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