Every January, in the middle of the night, thousands of volunteers and outreach workers spread out across the country to count the nation’s homeless population. They search highway underpasses, wooded areas, abandoned buildings and sidewalks to locate those who are living outside.
But this year, because of the pandemic, the annual street count has been canceled or modified in hundreds of communities, even as the nation’s unsheltered population appears to be growing.
One reason for the change is that the annual survey involves more than simply counting people. It also involves asking those who are homeless a long list of questions so service providers know what types of help they need.
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