County Seeks Volunteers for “Community Counts” Effort on 1/27

Published on December 08, 2025

PITTSBURGH – Every January, communities across the country participate in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual effort to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. In Allegheny County, this upcoming count will take place the evening of  Tuesday, January 27, 2026 from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) is recruiting 300 volunteers to canvass local neighborhoods and survey people who are staying outside overnight. This year’s approach, locally named “Community Counts,” is modeled after other cities’ counts like New York and Paris. Results will be published and used to gain better insight into local homelessness trends and meet requirements for federal funding.

“We’re excited to launch Community Counts this year with new, best-practice methodology that we’ve developed in partnership with national experts and local stakeholders,” said Erin Dalton, Department of Human Services Director. “Not only will this lay a solid foundation of reliable data for years to come – by utilizing many more volunteers, we’re hoping to build a tradition of community engagement that helps local residents learn about homelessness.”

Community members over the age of 18 are encouraged to sign up to volunteer. Volunteers will receive training upon arrival at their assigned site, and will work in teams, traveling by foot or car. Volunteers will complete a brief survey for each person they encounter that reports experiencing homelessness on that night. If anyone they encounter is sleeping, the survey will be based only on observation.

Local organizations and universities are stepping up as recruitment partners this year. Partners committed to date include:

  • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Allegheny Health Network 
  • UPMC
  • United Way of Southwestern PA
  • Pittsburgh CARES
  • Local universities from the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, including:
    • Carlow University
    • Carnegie Mellon University
    • Community College of Allegheny County
    • Duquesne University
    • LaRoche University
    • Point Park University
    • University of Pittsburgh

For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.alleghenycounty.us/communitycounts

For background on past counts, visit Allegheny Analytics: https://analytics.alleghenycounty.us/2025/05/23/point-in-time-count-of-people-experiencing-homelessness-annual-reports/

Media inquiries may be directed to the Communications Office.
For contact information, including email addresses and telephone numbers, visit the office website.

 

 

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