How bad is homelessness in Sacramento? This program needs volunteers to help find out
Sacramento organizers are seeking volunteers to fan out across the county and help count the number of people living in homelessness, as part of the first point-in-time count since 2019.
In January 2019, researchers estimated 5,570 people were living on the streets, in cars or in shelter beds — a number that government officials and advocates for unhoused residents say has likely increased in the wake of the pandemic and its economic fallout.
Typically conducted every other year, the federally mandated survey was canceled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. To capture the scale of the homelessness in Sacramento, organizers for the count say they need as many as 500 volunteers to canvas the streets, parks and suburbs of the county the nights of Feb. 23 and 24.
“It’s long overdue,” said Lisa Bates, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, the nonprofit that operates as the county’s lead agency on homelessness and runs the count.
The federal and state governments use the point-in-time count as an indicator of need when they allocate funding for homelessness programs, which makes obtaining an accurate count particularly important, Bates said.
But the count is also an important tool for local officials to understand the magnitude and characteristics of homelessness in Sacramento. Researchers from Sacramento State will analyze data collected from the two-day period, and plan to release the results in late spring, Bates said.
“I think we will see an increase in our point-in-time,” Bates said. “Certainly homelessness is more visible, and given the pandemic and economic realities — and quite frankly Sacramento’s high cost of housing and the rental market being so tight — we will see an increase.”
The 2019 count revealed troubling statistics: Among the 5,570 estimated homeless people in Sacramento County are veterans, teens and mothers with children. Almost half are people of color, with Black and American Indian residents disproportionately represented, and about 70% were unsheltered, living outside in tents, under highway overpasses, or in vehicles.
The report estimated that a total of 10,000 to 11,000 county residents would experience homelessness at some point in 2019.
While the 2021 count was postponed, Sacramento State researchers conducted a less extensive survey of encampments in January and February of last year. They found that the number of tents in the county had at least doubled to at least 1,000.
How to volunteer for the point in time count
So far, about 400 volunteers have already signed up. In 2019, about 900 volunteers helped with the point-in-time count. The reduced volunteer effort this year is partially related to COVID-19 concerns, Bates said.
Volunteers must be 18 years or older, show proof they are fully vaccinated. Volunteers must also attend a one-hour Zoom training session prior to the count, which are being held at 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 and 22 online.
On count nights, volunteers will go out to predetermined locations across the county, and collect data using their smartphone.
In some cases, volunteers will ask unhoused residents for demographic data and a variety of questions, such as how long they have experienced homelessness and how long they’ve lived in Sacramento. Canvassers will also ask new questions this year, including how the pandemic affected interviewees, Bates said.
Volunteers on count nights will work in small teams with an outreach team leader, but will be required to provide their own form of transportation and travel by foot.
Teams will meet up and be deployed from more centers this year, including in the city of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom and Rancho Cordova.
“We are spreading out in more locations over the two nights to assist in making sure we get the coverage,” Bates said.
To sign up as a volunteer, visit sacramentostepsforward.org.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 3:25 AM.