The Downtown San Diego Partnership teamed up with the Regional Task Force on the Homeless for the WeAllCount event, an annual survey of San Diego's homeless population. On the morning of January 23, over 100 volunteers, including elected officials, business owners, and community leaders, gathered at Golden Hall at 4 a.m. to survey homeless individuals in Downtown San Diego.
The WeAllCount event, also known as the Point-in-Time Count, is designed to provide accurate and timely data on homelessness in the San Diego region. This year's survey marked the first time that surveys were conducted entirely electronically, which will help ensure that key service providers have all the data they need to make informed decisions.
Many individuals in Downtown were eager to participate in the survey and share their experiences. Volunteers, each led by one of Downtown San Diego Partnership's outreach coordinators, traveled in small groups to a census track near City Hall to count unsheltered individuals as well as survey willing participants. The event was well-supported by local and state elected officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Congressman Scott Peters, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Assembly Majority Whip Todd Gloria, Chairman Greg Cox, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Council President Georgette Gomez, Councilmember Chris Ward, and City Attorney Mara Elliott.
According to Betsy Brennan, President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, "Today was truly inspiring. By connecting one-on-one with our Downtown homeless population, our elected officials, business leaders and volunteers gathered meaningful data which will help improve our policies and drive real change for our community." WeAllCount is a regional event coordinated by the RTFH, with hundreds of volunteers dispersing across greater San Diego to count homeless individuals and to gain a better understanding of factors involved in homelessness.
While the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development only requires a count be performed every other year, San Diego has made it a priority to conduct a census annually. Results from the count will be published in an online report, providing a greater understanding of our community's needs and helping to improve policies, direct funding, and inform the community.
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