Volunteers sought to count homeless population

By Jesse Granger

Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 | 1:49 p.m.

Clark County is looking for volunteers to help with the 2017 Southern Nevada Homeless Census, a count of the homeless population in the Las Vegas Valley.

Volunteers are needed to help from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday. Another group is needed to count homeless youth from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Participants will work in teams to count the homeless population in designated areas without interacting with or disturbing the individuals. The county particularly needs volunteers with cars to provide transportation for the teams, officials said.

Those interested in volunteering can register online here or call 702-455-5832.

“The annual count of the homeless in our community provides a snapshot of the challenges we continue to face,” Clark County Social Service Department Director Michael Pawlak said in a news release. “Also, by completing the count every year, our community qualifies for federal grants that support housing, job training and other programs that can help move homeless individuals off the streets.”

The census is required for grants that provided more than $12 million last year to local programs that help the homeless. Last year’s census found 6,208 homeless people staying in shelters or on the streets during the two-day count and estimated more than 30,000 people experience homelessness in Southern Nevada throughout the year.