A New West councillor encourages community members to consider volunteering for this year’s homeless count.
When considering staff recommendations about the City of New Westminster’s crises response pilot project, Coun. Tasha Henderson said some of the data used to the develop the recommendations came from the region’s homeless count. She said the 2025 homeless count is coming up on March 10 and 11, and volunteers are still needed in some communities.
“It's a wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours with another resident, another community member, and walk around and talk to folks and hear more about their stories, hear more about what's happening for them, what services they have access to, what their needs are,” she said. “And that's really important data to help inform the decisions that we make and the actions that we take.”
Henderson said she has done the count multiple times and would be happy to chat with anyone who is curious about what the experience is like.
“If you have the capacity to volunteer, I encourage people in the community to do that,” she said.
According to the Homelessness Services Association of BC, the 2025 homeless count currently needs daytime interviewers for Surrey and Vancouver streets on Tuesday, March 11.
“The homeless count involves identifying and conducting a brief anonymous survey with people experiencing homelessness. The street survey typically involves walking, biking, or driving around a neighbourhood looking for individuals to survey,” said the association’s website. “The shelter survey is conducted in various shelters across the region.”
Volunteers must take a mandatory two-hour training session between Feb. 20 and March 9.
Details about the homeless count, what is involved in volunteering and volunteer requirements can be found on Homelessness Services Association of B.C.’s website.
“Homeless counts have taken place in Greater Vancouver every three years since 2002,” said the association’s website. “They provide critical information on the number and characteristics of our region’s population who are experiencing homelessness and how this population has changed over time.”
