Riverside County seeks 700 volunteers for January homeless count

Riverside County needs more than 700 volunteers to count unsheltered residents across 28 cities and unincorporated communities in January. Volunteers will also connect people with housing resources during the effort.

The 2027 Homeless Point-in-Time Count runs Jan. 20-22, according to the county's Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions. The general street count begins at 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 20, with service-based counts on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22. Temecula is among the cities covered.

The effort is part of the county's "More Than A Count" initiative, which pairs the tally with same-day referrals to housing and supportive services for veterans, families, youth and seniors, KESQ reported.

Heidi Marshall, director of Housing and Workforce Solutions, said the initiative goes beyond data collection.

"More Than A Count reflects our commitment to making this effort about more than gathering data," Marshall said, according to City News Service.

The count matters for federal dollars. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses the data to distribute homeless relief funding, according to City News Service.

The 2025 count found 3,990 people were chronically unsheltered across the county, up 7% from 3,725 in the 2023 survey, City News Service reported. Nearly 1,000 volunteers participated that year. Bilingual volunteers are especially encouraged to sign up for the 2027 count, according to KESQ.

How to volunteer

Anyone 16 or older can participate. Volunteers ages 16 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult, and both must register. The county lists five requirements: download the Survey123 app on a smartphone, be able to walk up to two hours, attend an online training session, meet the age requirement and follow safety guidelines outlined in training.

Volunteers are placed in teams of three to five and paired with law enforcement for safety. Each team canvasses an assigned area to avoid duplicate interviews, according to the county's website.

Registration is open at rivcohws.org/homeless-point-time-pit-count. For questions, call (951) 358-3844.

Can't volunteer? Donate.

Residents who cannot participate on count day can donate gift cards, cold-weather items such as gloves, beanies and socks, or travel-size hygiene products. Contact the count coordinator at [email protected] or call the hotline at (951) 358-3844.

Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Spiegel said city staff and public safety personnel play a key role alongside volunteers in addressing homelessness across the county.

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