An Encinitas-based charity is seeking volunteers to take part in a count of homeless people in coastal San Diego County. The Community Resource Center is one of a number of groups that will survey the entire county early Friday. KPBS Radio's Andrea Hsu has more.
So far the group has just 12 people signed up to drive around communities from Del Mar to Oceanside. That's far fewer than the 30 or so it needs to do a proper count, according to Caity Riddle, who's training the volunteers.
Riddle: Every volunteer team will have a map of a certain zone, and they'll be able to drive those areas. Staff will be out in more urban areas or beach areas and walking and counting.
Executive Director Laurin Pause says the point of the census is to document a need for federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Pause: We are competing against every other community in the United States.
Last year - some 3,000 homeless people were counted in San Diego County. With more volunteers this year - that number could be higher.
For KPBS, I'm Andrea Hsu.
