More than 7,000 volunteers are fanning out as part of a three-night effort to count homeless people in most of Los Angeles County.
The count organized by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority kicked off from various deployment sites Tuesday evening and continues Wednesday and Thursday.
Spokeswoman Naomi Goldman says the goal is to get "an accurate picture about the state of homelessness." The data gathered are used to help officials request and allocate funding for homeless services.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement about the count Tuesday.
"We need an accurate tally, but the homeless count isn't about statistics — it's about lifting up men, women, and children who are the face of a human crisis," read the end of the statement. "Their stories demand our attention, and their circumstances compel us to action."
The tally will include most of Los Angeles County — with the cities of Long Beach, Glendale and Pasadena under different jurisdictions.
