The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has opened volunteer registration for the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which will take place on three consecutive nights from Tuesday, Jan. 20, through Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. LAHSA is seeking 6,500 volunteers.

“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 under-stand 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 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 an assigned census tract. The data informs how the rehousing system directs funding, housing and services.

The 2026 Homeless Count will begin on Jan. 20 in the San Fernando Valley and metro Los Angeles area. Volunteers in the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles will be deployed on Wednesday, Jan. 21, and volunteers in the West Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, South Bay/Harbor and Antelope Valley will complete the count on Jan. 22. LAHSA is introducing enhancements to strengthen data quality, improve coordination and make the volunteer experience smoother for the 2026 count. The count will feature new improvements in staffing support, volunteer recruitment and training.

To register, visit count.lahsa.org.