Volunteers Conduct Austin's Point-in-Time Count of Homeless

This past Sunday, nearly 600 volunteers participated in the Point-in-Time Count in Travis County, Texas, aimed at surveying the homeless population. Organized by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), the count is a federally mandated effort conducted every two years to gather data on homelessness, which is crucial for resource allocation and funding advocacy. Volunteers engaged directly with homeless individuals, collecting demographic information and distributing care kits containing hygiene products and resource guides. ECHO's Director of Operations, Angela de Leon, emphasized the importance of volunteer participation in covering the extensive area of approximately 1,100 square miles. The data collected will not only provide a snapshot of homelessness locally but also contribute to national estimates used for policy decisions. Similar efforts are underway in other cities, including Nashville, where volunteers conducted their own count to inform local resource needs.