Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, scheduled January 23-25, 2018.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission Rabbi Noah Farkas of Valley Beth Shalom today launched an effort at Leimert Park to enlist volunteers for the 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, scheduled January 23-25, 2018.

The goal is to exceed the 2017 total of nearly 8,000 registered volunteers.

“LA County residents are up to this herculean task,” said Board Chair Ridley-Thomas. “I was one of the volunteers who helped count around Leimert Park in January and I hope to volunteer again next January.”

“The most recent Homeless Count estimated there are almost 58,000 people homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night,” Board Chair Ridley-Thomas added. “In a county as prosperous as ours, it is a moral outrage and a humanitarian crisis that even one person has to sleep on the streets at night.”

“Every Angeleno counts, whether they have an address or not,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The annual Point-In-Time count is the best tool we have to measure the scope of our homelessness crisis, and get L.A.’s fair share of federal funding. Putting feet on the street in January will make a big difference in our work to get people into safe housing as quickly as we can."

“The Homeless Count would not exist without the selfless participation of thousands of volunteers across the County,” said Rabbi Farkas. “I’m optimistic that once again people will answer the call to help their neighbors experiencing homelessness.”

Volunteers may register at www.theycountwillyou.org.

The Count is a point-in-time enumeration that seeks to document the number of people without a permanent, habitable place to call home. The data collected is critical to assessing strategies and funding decisions by City and County policymakers seeking to successfully meet the needs of homeless individuals and families.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages more than $243 million annually in federal, state, county and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing and services to homeless persons. For more information visit www.lahsa.org.