By Mary O’KEEFE

The homeless count will be taking place in Los Angeles County from Jan. 21 through Jan. 23. In Glendale the count will be held on Jan. 22, and in San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys on Jan. 21.

In 2019 Los Angeles County saw a 12% increase in homelessness from the year before, the City of LA saw a 16% increase. In the LA County, District 5, in which Crescenta Valley is part, there was an overall rise of 4%.

Homeless issues are dominating the California conversation, from creating affordable housing to treating mental illness and supporting drug rehabilitation; homelessness is something that residents can no longer just walk past. It is no longer just an urban concern because those looking for shelter are finding it anywhere, including suburban parks. 

There are several voices sharing opinions of how to provide shelter for those who are in need; however, the first step is to find out how many are in what neighborhoods and what their needs are. To do that there needs to be a count.

The count is valuable to cities and county districts because it can help determine the type of funding and programs needed.

In Glendale, volunteers will walk with police officers and talk to those on the streets, then record that data. But beyond that, the volunteers led by City of Glendale Community Services manager Ivet Samvelyan will talk to these people with respect and understanding. Volunteers will let them know what services are available and give them essential toiletries, clothing and other items donated by the community that makes it a little easier to get through these tough times.

CV Weekly will report the results of the 2020 count once the data becomes available.