Volunteers Still Needed for Homeless Count

Gilroy has the highest rate of homelessness in Santa Clara County, and organizers of the biannual homeless census said they’re going to need more volunteers to count them all.

“It was hard to get volunteers this year,” said Shary Carvalho, an employee for the census organizers, Applied Survey Research.

While many attended the bilingual training session Tuesday night, Carvalho said she needs even more people to cover the town effectively during the upcoming survey on Tuesday.

The census is a required part of applying for federal funding to assist with projects to help the homeless, according to the 2009 report.

While San Jose had the highest number of homeless residents—4,193—in the last count, Gilroy had the highest number for its population, at 599, according to the report. That number was down 10 percent from the previous count.

Those who haven’t attended the training can still show up to help with the count at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday at .

During the survey, volunteers and a homeless guide will canvas a specific area of town, organizers said. While it is difficult to get a precise number, the research firm will use a formula to compensate for the difference.

This year marks the introduction of some new elements in the census, including the existence of homeless veterans and those living in car, said organizer James Connery.