JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite the cold temperatures, volunteers were out Thursday morning across Jacksonville to help count people experiencing homelessness.
This effort, spearheaded by the nonprofit Changing Homelessness, is part of the annual Point-in-Time Count.
The yearly count is designed to provide a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness on a given night. The data is used by local organizations and government agencies to better understand needs in the community and to help guide decisions about services and resources.
According to Florida’s Council on Homelessness annual report released last June, about 28,000 people in Florida are unhoused, including about 4,000 children.
But several factors could influence the totals reported this year.
Colder conditions may push more people to stay inside shelters rather than sleeping outdoors, which can change where individuals are counted. Florida’s no-camping law, which bans outdoor sleeping, may also affect where people are staying and how easily outreach teams can locate them.
Even so, teams began collecting data around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday in neighborhoods across the community.
Organizers stressed that the Point-in-Time Count is about more than just numbers. The data is often used to identify gaps in services, strengthen local programs and support applications for state and federal funding aimed at reducing homelessness.
Nonprofits and people experiencing homelessness have repeatedly raised concerns about access to resources, particularly funding. Advocates have said financial support became even tighter after the pandemic, and organizations also note that pinpointing the most urgent service needs can be challenging without reliable data.