At 4:00 a.m. this past Wednesday, 40 people, including CSA staff and volunteers, gathered at the agency for maps, instructions and fresh coffee before heading out to count the Mountain View-Los Altos area homeless population.
This biennial census count – known as Point in Time – helps government, social services and other organizations better understand the needs and scope of the unhoused population.
“What surprised me the most,” says Brandi Jothimani, CSA Homeless Prevention Services Program Director who led CSA’s efforts that day, “was uncovering unexpected homeless populations in prosperous areas of Cupertino.”
Counts were conducted using a team approach, partnering volunteers and staff with homeless individuals who know the area and served as guides.
The Point in Time census is funded by Santa Clara County.