Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness Conducts Ninth Annual Homeless Count

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Approximately 40 individuals volunteered early Wednesday morning, January 24, to help conduct the annual Homeless Count in Pacific Palisades—with an unofficial tally by Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness showing a “few more” people experiencing homelessness in the area than the previous year.

The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is a three-day census of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires a biennial point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness. LAHSA began conducting the Homeless Count in 2016 to provide an “improved analysis regarding the trends of people experiencing homelessness.”

Government agencies, including LAHSA, use the data to develop strategies to combat homelessness, and determine where funding and resources would be the most beneficial.

“The annual Homeless Count is an important tool to understand where our neighbors experiencing homelessness are located and to know where services are needed most, so we can help as many people as possible come home,” Chief Executive Officer of LAHSA Va Lecia Adams Kellum said in a statement. “However, we can’t do it alone. We need thousands of people to come out and count as many census tracts as possible so we can deliver accurate results.”

This year, the agency sought 8,000 volunteers to conduct the count. In the Palisades, about 40 volunteers worked the morning, which included members of PPTFH and its Outreach Team, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin, LAPD officers and the Beach Patrol team, CD 11 Field Deputy Michael Amster, former member of Santa Monica City Council Greg Morena, and citizen volunteers.

This was PPTFH’s ninth time conducting the count locally since forming in 2015. The count was scheduled for the early morning, beginning at 4 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church.

Individuals were then divvied up into teams and made their way to the streets—spanning the Highlands, Alphabet Streets and beyond—taking count of encampments, cars, tents and individuals.

“This was my second year participating in the homeless count and I really enjoyed it,” Palisadian Sue Kohl, who serves as vice chair of Pacific Palisades Community Council, said to the Palisadian-Post. “This year, for the first time, we each had [a mobile application] to use, which more accurately counted the unhoused and their locations and situations … and sent the data directly to LAHSA representatives. It was a rewarding experience.”

This year, PPTFH Co-President Cindi Young said a few changes were made to the process. LAHSA is expected to publish area-wide totals, and will no longer provide specific totals for the Palisades or similar communities.

“They base this conclusion on the presumption that people experiencing homelessness move around,” Young explained.

Also this year, volunteers in the Palisades were requested to not count people experiencing homelessness on the beach or in vehicles along Pacific Coast Highway, according to Young. They were told that other area officials, including Caltrans and Recreation and Parks, would be conducting the count in those areas. It was unclear at press time if the data collected at these sites would be part of the total official count.

“PPTFH and PPCC reached out to LAHSA to ask why these areas were not to be counted,” Young said.

As the Post went to print Tuesday evening, February 6, LAHSA had not responded to a request for comment on the count in those areas.

PPTFH leaders were able to get an unofficial count of the area through the efforts of Espin, Amster and Morena, who counted the area. Espin reported three people on the beach, one tent, 12 cars and four RVs.

PPTFH’s preliminary count results saw a total of 62 people experiencing homelessness—including the beach and PCH—or 45—excluding the beach and PCH. These numbers were “a few more” than last year.

Official results and findings from the countywide count were anticipated to be available in June.