In less than two weeks, thousands of volunteers and workers will mobilize across Los Angeles to gather data on the city’s unhoused population, and help is still needed on the Eastside.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is seeking additional volunteers in Boyle Heights to assist with the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The annual count is conducted over three days and scheduled for Jan. 20-22. LAHSA’s annual count covers over 4,000 square miles of Los Angeles County, including Boyle Heights and East LA.
Volunteers in Boyle Heights will deploy from Dolores Mission Church at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to visually count the number of people, tents, makeshift shelters and vehicles they observe in the neighborhood.
What is the homeless count?
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires regional service areas, known as Continuums of Care (CoC), to conduct a biannual count to receive federal funding for homeless services. Areas like Los Angeles hold the count annually to keep track of their numbers more closely.
The data gathered is used to understand the scope of LA’s homelessness crisis and to inform how funding and resources are distributed, ensuring that services are delivered where they are needed most.
As of Thursday, LAHSA had recruited 1,986 volunteers, 45 percent of its goal, and was still seeking over 2,400 volunteers as the count gets closer.
Last year’s results
In 2025, the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count found an estimated 72,195 people experiencing homelessness countywide, a 4% increase from the previous year, and 43,695 in the city of LA, a 3.4% drop.
In 2024, LAHSA reported smaller declines in both the city and county — 2.2% and less than 1% (.27%), respectively.
While unsheltered homelessness declined in the city and county over the past two years, the number of unsheltered children and teens did not improve. In 2025, the number of unsheltered children and teens under 18 went up nearly 22% compared to 2024 — from 1,558 to 1,897. The number of unsheltered families with children in the county increased 18% from 903 to 1,067.
In addition to the visual tally, the annual homeless count includes a survey-based count of unsheltered youth and young families, as well as data on the people living in shelters and transitional housing. The results of the count are made public in late spring or early summer.
How to participate
Those interested in volunteering for the count can register on the LAHSA website or through its volunteer portal here. The Boyle Heights count still needs 27 volunteers who will deploy from Dolores Mission Church, located at 171 S. Gless St. The East LA count is still seeking 7 volunteers, and will deploy from the Centro Maravilla Service Center located at 4716 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave.
