About 350 Volunteers to Take Part in One Day Homeless Count

REDWOOD CITY - San Mateo County's Human Services Agency, in partnership with local community organizations, will conduct the 2026 One Day Homeless Count on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from approximately 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.​

Early Thursday morning, nearly 350 trained volunteers will head out across San Mateo County to take part in the 2026 One Day Homeless Count, a federally required effort that helps communities better understand unsheltered homelessness and remain eligible for critical federal funding.

"Results from the One Day Count help us track homelessness trends, who is unsheltered, disparities by race and household type, and where people are staying," said Claire Cunningham, Human Services Agency Director of San Mateo County. "While it's a one-day snapshot, it remains a critical tool, alongside outreach, shelter, and housing efforts, for guiding resources and measuring progress over time."

The One Day Homeless Count, also known as the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, is a street-by-street, observational-only count of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. It is conducted nationwide every other January. In San Mateo County, the unsheltered count will take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, between approximately 5:00 and 10:00 a.m., with volunteer teams assigned across the county to ensure broad geographic coverage.

Volunteers will work in pairs and conduct observations only, using a mobile application to record what they see. They do not conduct interviews or surveys during the One Day Count itself. Volunteers receive required training, are assigned to specific areas, and follow a coordinated safety plan.

"Volunteers are trained to move through the morning with care, respect, and restraint, recognizing that this is someone else's day, their space, and their life," said Amy Davidson, Director for the Human Services Agency's Center on Homelessness.

The data collected through the One Day Count is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and informs federal reporting and the allocation of state and federal resources for homelessness programs. Locally, the results support planning, guide investments in outreach, shelter, and housing, and allow the County and its partners to track progress and identify where additional solutions are needed over time.

Homelessness is one of the Board of Supervisors' top three priorities, and since the last One Day Count in 2024, the County has made targeted investments to strengthen the local response-pairing federal and state resources with local funding, including Measure K. Over the past two years, the County redesigned and expanded Homeless Outreach Teams, began compiling "Our Count" each month to better track trends between Point-in-Time counts, and launched a State Encampment Resolution Fund effort to deliver more targeted services at 26 encampment locations across the county. The County also continued to expand interim and permanent housing pathways, including bringing 40 new emergency shelter beds in East Palo Alto, and the acquisition of a hotel on Airport Boulevard in South San Francisco that will be converted to permanent supportive housing, among several housing projects. In addition, Measure K investments have increased emergency financial assistance for households facing housing instability, and the County has advanced new housing options, such as securing a site for a future youth interim housing program and committing funds toward new permanent supportive housing units.

Following the One Day Homeless Count, trained Homeless Services Outreach teams will conduct voluntary individual surveys as part of the same federally required Point-in-Time Count process. These surveys are conducted separately from the observational count and help gather additional information about demographics, housing history, and service needs. The work is carried out by experienced outreach staff, nonprofit partners, and community expert guides with lived experience.

This year, in partnership with San Mateo County Health, outreach teams will also distribute naloxone (Narcan) as a basic public health and harm-reduction measure to make life-saving medication more available in the community. This coordination does not imply that homelessness is driven by substance use.

The One Day Homeless Count is organized by the San Mateo County Human Services Agency with support from County departments, cities, nonprofit partners, and community members. An executive summary of the results is expected to be released in early summer, with a full report later in the year.

Learn more

For information about homelessness in San Mateo County, visit the dashboard.

Supporting Quotes:

District 1 Supervisor, Jackie Speier

"I am encouraged by the high participation of volunteers in the Point in Time Homeless Count which will help us receive our fair share of federal funding to address homelessness. The more volunteers we have, the more complete and accurate the data we collect will be. This is a really meaningful way to engage in public service and help people get housed."

District 2 Supervisor, President Noelia Corzo

"The One Day Count is grounded in the ongoing work our County and partners do every day. This moment brings our community together to approach homelessness with care, respect, and shared responsibility."

District 4 Supervisor, Lisa Gauthier

"I'm excited to participate in this year's San Mateo County One Day Homeless Count. The point-in-time data we collect is so important for obtaining the resources the county needs from the state and federal government to help support our houseless neighbors. Thank you to all of the county staff, coordinators and volunteers for their participation in this endeavor."

About San Mateo County Human Services Agency
The Human Services Agency is committed to promoting the well-being of children, adults, and families by providing effective, compassionate services. Our vision is a thriving San Mateo County community where everyone has the opportunity and support they need to live safe, healthy, and prosperous lives.

Paul Laustsen

[email protected],

650-465-9977 (text preferred)