Long Beach’s annual point-in-time tally of homeless people will once again take place in January — and the city is looking for volunteers to help out.
The Department of Health and Human Services is looking for 350 community members to volunteer for the 2026 count. Volunteer registration is now open online.
The one-day tally will entail a four-hour canvassing shift starting at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, though volunteers will be expected to report for service by 4:30 a.m. to receive their assignments.
The point-in-time count is more than a data-collection effort, city officials said, but also a communitywide initiative inviting residents and businesses to connect with neighbors who are homeless, learn about available resources and actively support Long Beach’s response to homelessness.
Information gathered during the count plays a crucial role in understanding the scope of homelessness in Long Beach, shaping services and identifying gaps in resources, according to a press release.
Long Beach has an independent health department, which is why it is one of only three cities in Los Angeles County that conducts a count separately from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s annual countywide tally.
LAHSA’s three-day count, which covers about 4,000 square miles throughout the county, has opened volunteer registrations for its 2026 count as well. It will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the San Fernando Valley and the LA metro area. Volunteers will continue to canvass the following day in the San Gabriel Valley and East LA areas, with the count expected to wrap up Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Antelope Valley, West and South Los Angeles, and the South Bay and Harbor Area.
Volunteer Melanie Martins approaches a woman living on a street near El Dorado Park on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, as part of the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
District 1 Councilwoman Mary Zendejas gathers with volunteers at The Grand early Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, prior to the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Volunteers from the Long Beach VA look for displaced people near an on ramp to the 405 freeway in the El Dorado Park neighborhood early Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, during the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
City staffers chat with Victor Williams, 63, right, and Robert Garcia, 27, in Cesar Chavez Park on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, as part of the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Victor Williams, 63, who’s been living on the streets of West Long Beach for nine months, embraces Multi-Service Center case manager Lucinda Hayes on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, during the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Volunteer Melanie Martins approaches a woman living on a street near El Dorado Park on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, as part of the city’s annual point in time tally of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach volunteers will be required to register online and attend a training session before the tally gets underway.
Volunteers will be assigned a segment of the city to canvass in groups of three to five, where they will tally and survey homeless people who are willing to share their stories, as well as distribute gift cards, hygiene kits and water during the outreach, according to the press release.
Orientation sessions are scheduled to take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on:
Tuesday, Jan. 6, via Zoom.
Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Housing Authority building, 1500 Hughes Way, Suite C-300. Capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tuesday, Jan. 13, via Zoom.
To register, visit bit.ly/49HifVj.
For more information about the Long Beach Homeless Count, visit longbeach.gov/homelesscount, email HomelessCount@longbeach.gov or call the Multi-Service Center at 562-570-4500.