Task force prepares for San Diego County’s annual homeless count

Volunteers across San Diego County are preparing for the annual one-day, point-in-time homeless count that starts well before sunrise Thursday.

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness spends about six months preparing for the count, which involves 1,700 volunteers, and then three months more analyzing the results, officials said.

“This count has never been more important,” said Joshua Bohannan, chief strategy officer for Father Joe’s Villages.

“When we survey our neighbors face-to-face, we can get a better understanding of their needs and connect them to resources,” Bohannan said in an email Thursday. “This can include referrals to shelters and detox services as well as things people need immediately to survive on the streets, like blankets and socks.”

Information collected during the count helps service providers understand the circumstances that may force someone into homelessness, as well as ways to divert or prevent people from becoming homeless, he said.

“The count helps illustrate where progress is being made and where the challenges remain greatest,” said Greg Anglea, chief executive officer of the regional nonprofit Interfaith Community Services.

“In recent years, the levels of sophistication and accuracy of the count have improved, with each unsheltered individual not just ‘counted,’ but also interviewed and engaged to explore service and housing connections,” Anglea said.

“The resulting data provides year-after-yea...