Outreach teams and volunteers will canvass Northeast Florida on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to survey the area’s homeless population.
Changing Homelessness Inc. and Continuum of Care agencies have joined forces with more than 100 volunteers working in Duval County on Tuesday, Clay County on Wednesday and Nassau County on Thursday.
Volunteers also will distribute hygiene kits to remind those experiencing homelessness that the community appreciates their survey participation as it works to end the problem.
A count in January reported 1,247 people experiencing homelessness regionally, 396 of them unsheltered and living on the streets. That is a slight decrease from previous years, officials said, but the current count will ensure that no one was overlooked.
"After evaluating the January count, and considering post-COVID community dynamics, we are conducting a summer count to confirm we did not miss any of our unhoused neighbors,” said Dawn Gilman, CEO of Changing Homelessness.
The U-S Department of Housing & Urban Development requires agencies that receive federal funds to conduct a homeless census at least every two years.
For more information, go to changinghomelessness.org.
