LAHSA is seeking to recruit 6,500 volunteers to ensure full coverage of the county’s 88 cities

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has opened registration for volunteers to assist with the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, set to take place over three nights in January across the county.

The annual count, which LAHSA describes as the nation’s largest effort to tally unsheltered individuals, will be conducted on the evenings of Jan. 20, 21, and 22. Volunteers can sign up at count.lahsa.org.

“We need thousands of volunteers to help make the 2026 Homeless Count a success,” said LAHSA Interim CEO Gita O’Neill. “The information gathered strengthens our data and helps us understand where our unhoused neighbors are, what services they need most, and what it will take to bring them inside.”

Each January, LAHSA mobilizes thousands of volunteers to canvass more than 4,000 square miles across Los Angeles County. Volunteers work in teams to count the number of people, tents, makeshift shelters, and vehicles in designated census tracts. The results directly influence how funding and resources are allocated for homelessness programs and services.

This year’s schedule breaks down by region:

Tuesday, Jan. 20: San Fernando Valley and Metro Los Angeles

Wednesday, Jan. 21: San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles

Thursday, Jan. 22: Antelope Valley, West and South Los Angeles, and the South Bay/Harbor area

The annual effort includes multiple components: the Unsheltered Count, the Youth Count (conducted throughout January), the Shelter Count and Housing Inventory Count (on Jan. 21), and the Demographic Survey, which will be conducted by the University of Southern California from December 2025 through March 2026.

LAHSA is implementing several updates to the 2026 count. These include simplified training materials, improved staffing support, mock site tests, and enhanced volunteer recruitment efforts. 

LAHSA is seeking to recruit 6,500 volunteers to ensure full coverage of the county’s 88 cities and unincorporated communities.

For more information or to register, visit https://count.lahsa.org.