County officials are seeking volunteers to help in a head count of the Santa Clarita Valley’s homeless, officials said Wednesday.

The count, which is scheduled to start Jan. 29 at 8 p.m., is part of a countywide effort, and officials need about 6,000 volunteers, according to a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority officials.

“In Santa Clarita, we need about 100 volunteers,” said Tim Davis, the executive director of Bridge To Home. “We can’t do all the things we do to help homeless families in Santa Clarita if we don’t get these resources.”

The count is set to start after a short training session to be held at the Santa Clarita Activities Center, followed by pairs of volunteers who will be assigned areas to drive through as they look for signs of homelessness, Davis said.

Volunteers will be provided with snacks, flashlights, clipboards, tally sheets, census tract packets with maps and pencils.

“It is a very simple activity, we don’t ask the volunteers to get out of their cars, just drive through the assigned area and look for specific indicators of homelessness,” Davis said.

To register as a volunteer visit the website here.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires a count of homeless persons living on the street every two years, while a count of sheltered homeless persons is required to take place every year, according to a news release. The count is held nation-wide during the last 10 days of January across the United States.

About the Los Angeles Homeless Count 

“The 2015 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is a critical opportunity to gain information about the size and scope of the challenge we face to house community residents experiencing homelessness,” said Executive Director Peter Lynn. “We use this information to better target our homeless service resources.  Volunteers will make a difference in their community, and the lives of their homeless neighbors, by committing four hours of their time.”

LA’s last Homeless Count in 2013 found more than 39,000 men, women and children, according to the news release.

The Homeless Count will cover L.A. County as follows:

• Jan. 27, 8 p.m., San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles County
• Jan. 28, 8 p.m., West Los Angeles and South Bay
• Jan. 29, 6 a.m., Antelope Valley
• Jan. 29, 8 p.m., San Fernando Valley/Santa Clarita Valley, Metro Los Angeles and South Los Angeles

Volunteers will be dispatched from 87 regional deployment centers to targeted census tracts throughout the county to record the number of homeless people, vehicles used as homes and homeless encampments observed, according to a news release. Volunteers select their preferred deployment center when they register at TheyCountWillYou.org.

The Count will follow definitions of homelessness established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which include people living in places not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, sidewalks and abandoned buildings, according to a news release. A simultaneous count by service provider staff will enumerate homeless individuals and family members staying in emergency shelters and other homeless programs.

In conjunction with the three-night street and shelter count, LAHSA will perform a detailed demographic survey to collect information critical in planning and assigning resources for homeless programs and services, according to a news release. Demographic data will include such data as age, gender, ethnicity, individual and family homelessness, duration of homelessness, and veteran status.  Additional demographic data seeks to identify reasons why individuals became homeless, services utilized and benefits received.

Volunteers who want to assist in their community can register here.

If you have any questions, please contact HomelessCount@lahsa.org.

About the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages over $70 million annually in federal, state, county and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing and services to men, women and children experiencing homelessness. For more information about LAHSA, visit: www.lahsa.org.