San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness Calls For Volunteers

Hundreds Needed for San Diego County

A homeless encampment in Los Angeles on Jan. 2, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

SAN DIEGO—The Regional Task Force on Homelessness put out a call today for more volunteers to participate in the upcoming 2023 Point in Time Count scheduled for Jan. 26.

The count is a federally required activity and a “crucial source of information and funding for homelessness across the county,'‘ a statement from the agency reads. ”A robust volunteer basis is vital to the success of the 2023 Point in Time Count,’‘ the agency’s CEO Tamera Kohler said. “While we’re excited about the enthusiasm so far, we need more people across our region to take part in the count.’’

A homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles on Jan. 20, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The count provides a one-day snapshot of the minimum number of San Diegans living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens, and on streets and along riverbeds. It also collects data on the needs of those experiencing homelessness. With one of the largest counties in the country, hundreds of volunteers are needed.

“So many San Diegans are wondering what they can do to help make progress around homelessness,'‘ Kohler said. ”By participating in the 2023 Point in Time Count, you’re doing your part by providing valuable information about those experiencing homelessness while ensuring that our region gets the federal funding it deserves.’'

What’s In the 2022 Data

In the 2022 count, homelessness had grown by at least 10 percent since 2020, according to the findings. More than 1,400 volunteers participated and found a minimum of 8,427 people experiencing homelessness across San Diego County.

This number included 4,106 unsheltered San Diegans and 4,321 individuals in shelters. Of those surveyed, 85 percent said they had fallen into homelessness while living in the region. That number was likely impacted by bad weather the night before, a statement from the task force at the time read, so it may have unintentionally undercounted the true number of county residents experiencing homelessness.

A homeless man sleeps on the streets of Los Angeles California in December of 2018. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

There were some bright spots in the 2022 data, the task force claims, including a 30 percent decrease in the veteran homeless population and a 7 percent decrease in the chronic homelessness population versus 2020.

The county also saw an increase in transitional-aged youth in shelters. Additional shelter options throughout the region also made a difference as well as a large housing effort in downtown San Diego housing roughly 150 San Diegans the week leading up to the count. The 2022 Point in Time Count saw an increase in families experiencing homelessness, up 56 percent from 2020.

While 24 percent of San Diegans experiencing homelessness were over 55 in both 2020 and 2022, last year’s count showed 47 percent of those seniors were experiencing homelessness for the first time, with 57 percent having a physical disability. The oldest person surveyed living on the street in San Diego County was 87.

According to Kohler, between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, more than 36,500 San Diegans interacted with homeless services, meaning the true number of San Diegans living without permanent housing could be far higher than what the count has found.

More information about the Point in Time Count can be found on the agency’s website, and information to register for volunteering can be found here.