Homeless People Hired To Serve As Guides In Santa Clara County Census Count Of Others Without Homes
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— The 2013 census found more than 7,600 people living without shelter in Silicon Valley. A new homeless count will be conducted next week to get the latest numbers.
The goal is to have 400 volunteers help with the count next Monday and Tuesday. Organizers say they will go to great lengths for an accurate count.
"We work with the schools; county office of education and homeless liaisons at various school districts to get an accurate count of various school districts to get an accurate count of homeless students and their families and then we utilize community volunteers to canvas every census track, every park, every parking lot, every location that we need to count," said Michelle Covert with San Jose's Homelessness Response Team.
She said 50 to 75 homeless people will be hired as guides for the count.
"The general population doesn't always know where the homeless population are sleeping. It's homeless people who've had to survive on the streets who would be able to give us that information," Covert said.
When the count was conducted two years ago just under 4,600 homeless were in the city of San Jose.
