Supervisor Nora Vargas on Monday urged residents of southern San Diego County to volunteer for the Feb. 24 homeless census.
“We desperately need volunteers for the south of the county”, which goes from Chula Vista to Mexico's border Vargas said.
“Help us collect crucial data and spark action for the homeless in San Diego County,” Vargas said.
The Vice-Chair of the county board of supervisors stressed the importance of the census because it provides data on which affordable housing projects in South County are based.
In San Diego County, the count is carried out by the We All Count, or Todos Cuentas Task Force.
The project is part of the San Diego Regional Homeless Task Force, and the purpose of the count is to collect data on the needs of the homeless.
"This count also provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of homelessness and generate action," the task force reports on its website.
The federal government requires that the homeless count be conducted every two years, but San Diego County has decided to make it an annual practice to have more up-to-date information.
People who wish to participate as volunteers can register before Feb. 21, three days before the count.
Registration can be done online at https://www.rtfhsd.org/
In 2020 data, San Diego's southern county had 118 people in shelters and 269 on the streets. A total of 487 people in South County translated to 6.4 percent of all homeless people throughout the county.
The largest homeless population is in the city of San Diego, with 4,870 people, or 63.7 percent of the total in the county.
