Point-in-Time head count to address homelessness resumes in Maricopa County

PHOENIX — Bundled beneath layers of clothing and equipped with digital surveys, a band of six volunteers from the nonprofit organization Community Bridges walked the streets of downtown early Tuesday to tally the number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County.

The Point-in-Time Homeless Count is conducted nationwide to gauge the extent of homelessness across the country. Each year, the Maricopa Association of Governments designates hundreds of volunteers, staff members and outreach workers to canvass various grids within the county and submit data to help secure funding and inform new solutions to homelessness.

Elizabeth DaCosta is the senior director of housing and community integration at Community Bridges, which uses housing, therapy, education and medications to create treatment plans for behavioral health concerns and addiction treatment. DaCosta, who led a group of five volunteers, said the statistics collected for Point-in-Time help paint the true picture of homelessness and the need for more shelter.