Updated 01/23/2011 05:21 PM
Volunteers capture snapshot of Austin's homeless
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Armed with a survey and a map, about 250 volunteers took to the streets of Austin Sunday in search of those who are homeless.
Their objective was to try to determine exactly how many people in Austin and Travis County do not have a permanent place to live.
Organizers of the homeless count said it was the first time they had conducted their work on Sunday afternoon.
In the past, they said the count was done in the evening hours during the week to try to catch people after they return home from work.
With this method, organizers with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, hoped it would be a more effective and less intrusive way to accomplish their goal.
Volunteers are needed each year to conduct the homeless count. For more information on how you can help in the future, click here.
In addition to the count, ECHO Chair Ed McHorse said the surveys also help paint a picture of the problems faced by those who are without a permanent home.
"It's not an accurate count in the sense of, we know we've found everyone," McHorse said. "But it is a good way for us to get a measure from one year to the next on what the population looks like, generally where they are, so we can get the services out to them."
McHorse said the estimation of the homeless population, when combined with the surveys helps in planning out services that are necessary.
Some of those who volunteered Sunday were students from the University of Texas School of Social Work.
Cal Streeter, a professor at the university, said the count afforded his students a valuable opportunity.
"It gives them an opportunity to take what they're learning in the classroom outside and see exactly what kinds of problems people in Austin are faced with when they are not able to be sheltered," Streeter said.
With the economic downturn, Streeter said he has noticed the makeup of Austin's homeless population change to include more families.
McHorse estimated that there are about 4,000 homeless people in Austin on any given day.
The group expects to make contact with between 1200 to 1500 homeless people during the count.
All cities and counties that receive money for the purpose of fighting homelessness from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are required to conduct this type of survey of the homeless population.