Stanislaus County is seeking volunteers for its 2026 Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, an annual effort to survey people experiencing homelessness both on the streets and in emergency shelters throughout the county. The count, scheduled for January 29, will help local agencies assess the extent of homelessness and determine funding needs.
The Stanislaus Community System of Care, a coalition of local government bodies, nonprofit organizations, and homeless service providers, organizes the PIT Count each year as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 2024, HUD provided $3.5 billion in competitive grants to support homeless services across the United States.
Data from last year’s survey showed that 2,086 individuals were homeless in Stanislaus County in 2025, up from 2,052 in 2024. The annual count gathers information about where people first became homeless and asks about contributing factors such as mental illness or substance abuse disorders. According to previous surveys, approximately three-quarters of those counted first experienced homelessness within Stanislaus County.
Maryn Pitt, chair of the Community System of Care, emphasized the importance of monitoring progress: “Tracking and measuring our progress in addressing homelessness is essential to understanding how effective our programs are,” Pitt said. “The annual PIT Count plays a vital role in this process. To cover the entire county in one day, it’s critical we have volunteers from across Stanislaus County.”
Volunteers work alongside the county’s Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team to conduct surveys and distribute comfort kits containing socks and hygiene items. Organizers aim to recruit around 300 volunteers for this year’s count.
Those interested can register at stanislaus.pointintime.info by January 18 and specify their preferred city for volunteering. Registration is also available by phone at 209-558-2961 or by email at csoc@stancounty.com. All volunteers must complete mandatory online training before participating. Additional information about the Community System of Care can be found at www.csocstan.com.
