DATE: January 11, 2012
CONTACT: Natasha Guest, Senior Administrative Analyst
City of Santa Monica Human Services Division
(310) 458-8701
Natasha.Guest@smgov.net
The City of Santa Monica will conduct its annual street-by-street enumeration of homeless individuals on the night of January 25, 2012. This annual count helps assess the effectiveness of the City’s efforts to address homelessness.
In addition, accurate information helps the City:
• Understand changes in trends among the City’s homeless populations;
• Adjust the types of programs and services available according to need and use resources as efficiently as possible; and
• Raise public awareness about the issue of homelessness.
Data from previous Homeless Counts helped demonstrate a reduction in homelessness (19% from 2009 to 2011) and the tangible effects of the City’s Action Plan to Address Homelessness, local programs and initiatives. The City’s annual count goes above and beyond the federal and regional requirements to conduct bi-annual homeless counts on odd-numbered years and demonstrates the City’s commitment to address homelessness.
The City of Santa Monica seeks 200 volunteers to assist with the 2012 Count, which will take place Wednesday, January 25, 2012 from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. with training and a kickoff event at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Teams will be deployed from the auditorium to cover every area of the city by foot or by car to conduct a visual count of people who are homeless.
Interested volunteers can RSVP by visiting www.smgov.net/homelesscountvolunteer.aspx or by contacting Tommy Jaime at (310) 458-8701 or tommy.jaime@smgov.net.
For event updates and information, check out our new Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SantaMonicaAddressingHomelessness.
To learn more about the City’s efforts to address homelessness, visit: www.smgov.net/homelessness.
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