The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has opened volunteer registration for the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which will take place on the evenings of Tuesday, Jan. 20, Wednesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Angelenos can sign up to volunteer at https://count.lahsa.org/.

“The Homeless Count is one of LAHSA’s most important duties as the lead for the local Continuum of Care,” said Gita O’Neill, Interim CEO of LAHSA. “Los Angeles conducts the largest unsheltered count in the country, so we need thousands of volunteers to help make the 2026 Homeless Count a success. The information gathered by volunteers strengthens our data and helps our system better understand where our unhoused neighbors are, the services they need most and what it will take to bring them inside.”

Each January, thousands of volunteers join LAHSA to conduct the Unsheltered Count, covering more than 4,000 square miles across Los Angeles County. Working in small groups, volunteers tally the number of people, tents, makeshift shelters and vehicles they see in their assigned census tracts. The data collected informs how the rehousing system directs funding, housing and services throughout the region.

The 2026 Homeless Count will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the San Fernando Valley and Metro Los Angeles. Volunteers in the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles will count on Wednesday, Jan. 21, while those in the Antelope Valley, West and South Los Angeles and the South Bay/Harbor region will complete the Count on Thursday, Jan. 22. (This last area includes counts in Santa Clarita.)

In addition to the Unsheltered Count, the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count includes:

The Youth Count, conducted throughout January in partnership with youth service organizations.

The Shelter Count and Housing Inventory Count, taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

The Demographic Survey, conducted by the University of Southern California from December 2025 through March 2026.

For the 2026 count, LAHSA is introducing several enhancements to strengthen data quality, improve coordination and make the volunteer experience smoother. The count will continue using the same digital tools and statistical methods as in 2025, but will feature new improvements in staffing support, volunteer recruitment and training. LAHSA is also partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Emergency Centralized Response Center to help reach hard-to-access areas. Training materials have also been simplified to ensure consistency across all regions, and new mock site tests will help volunteers and coordinators prepare before Count night. Additionally, updates to the Housing Inventory Count and Youth Count will enhance data accuracy and increase participation across Los Angeles County.

LAHSA is seeking to recruit 6,500 volunteers to help complete the count across all regions of Los Angeles County.

Register and be part of the trend. Learn more by visiting https://count.lahsa.org/.