Community Volunteers Needed for the 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count in Malibu, Rescheduled to February 23
Malibu community members are invited to volunteer in Malibu for the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 23.
The new schedule for the Count is as follows:
- Tuesday, February 22: San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys (SPA 2 and 3)
- Wednesday, February 23: West Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles and the South Bay (SPA 5, 7 and 8)
- Thursday, February 24: Antelope Valley, Metro Los Angeles and South Los Angeles (SPA 1, 4 and 6)
Every year, thousands of volunteers help the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to conduct the annual street count of the County’s homeless population. The 2022 Homeless Count for Malibu’s region was originally scheduled for January 26, but was postponed by the County due to a lack of volunteers associated with the COVID-19 Omicron variant surge.
“The annual Homeless Count is an important way to collect valuable, real-world data that is crucial for creating effective policies and programs to address the humanitarian crisis of homelessness,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “Volunteering for the homeless count is a valuable learning experience and also a great way for community members to contribute to the collective efforts to address homelessness.”
The 2020 Homeless Count results showed 66,436 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. It showed 239 homeless people in Malibu, an increase from 154 in 2019, and 155 in 2018. However, an informal count performed by the Malibu Homelessness Working Group done in 2021 showed 157 unhoused individuals in Malibu. The 239 counted in 2020 is thought to be due to a change in parking regulations outside of the City that pushed numerous cars and RVs into Malibu.
Volunteers are needed to conduct the Count activities in Malibu. Any community members interested in participating in this year’s Count can find more information or register on the count website at TheyCountWillYou.org. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
The purpose of this federally-mandated count goes far beyond meeting a requirement. The benefits of conducting the Homeless Count include providing accurate data from the field to inform efforts to address homelessness across Los Angeles County. The data gathered helps service providers, policy makers, local governments, elected officials and other stakeholders understand the geographic and demographic diversity of homelessness so that the types of services and housing provided are more responsive to the need in the community and more effective.
The data from the Homeless Count is also important for tracking, measuring and monitoring progress towards addressing homelessness which can be used to adjust programs and policies. It will be used to assist in the ongoing implementation of the City of Malibu’s Homelessness Strategic Plan.
To learn more about the City’s efforts to address homelessness, visit www.MalibuCity.org/Homelessness.
For more information about the Homeless Count in Malibu, contact Luis Flores, Public Safety Liaison, at 310-456-2489, ext. 236, or email LFlores@MalibuCity.org.