Hawthorne held its seventh annual homeless count as 38 volunteers canvassed 20 tracts

Hawthorne's homeless services department conducted its seventh annual homeless count this week, the city reported, using 38 volunteers who canvassed 20 census tracts and collected data on individuals and encampments.

Reporter Jason Reynoso said volunteers used an app from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to record people living outdoors, in vehicles and in other public locations. Organizers described the count as a measure to support shelter placement, wraparound services and to help the city secure federal funding.

A volunteer who has previously worked in central Los Angeles described common indicators volunteers used to identify people experiencing homelessness, such as sleeping in public spaces or visible bedding. City staff and volunteers framed the effort as part of a multi-year decline in visible homelessness in Hawthorne, attributing improvements to services provided over the past six years.

The program directed viewers to LAHSA's homeless-count webpage for more information. The segment did not provide a citywide homelessness total beyond the operational details of the count or specific follow-up program names tied to federal awards.