Santa Cruz County Conducts Annual Homelessness Count

Over 100 volunteers, including peer guides, spread across the county to identify unhoused residents

Jan. 29, 2026 at 8:07pm

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In the early morning hours on Thursday, over 100 volunteers in Santa Cruz County participated in the annual Point-in-Time Count to identify the number of visible unhoused people in the county. The federally mandated count, led by the county's Housing for Health Partnership, aims to secure grant funding and understand how the county can better serve its homeless population. Peer guides with lived experience of homelessness joined some volunteer teams to help locate and build rapport with hard-to-reach individuals.

Why it matters

The Point-in-Time Count data is crucial for Santa Cruz County to secure state and federal funding for homelessness services, as well as inform policies and strategies to address the issue. The count helps identify underserved populations, such as Black and brown individuals, so the county can better target its outreach and resources.

The details

Volunteers were assigned to canvas specific census tracts, sometimes accompanied by peer guides who are compensated for their time. The teams drove and walked through neighborhoods, recording the locations of parked vehicles where people might be living and other signs of homelessness. In the coming weeks, peer guides will conduct more detailed surveys to gather demographic and experiential data about the unhoused population.

  • The Point-in-Time Count took place on the morning of Thursday, January 30, 2026.
  • The county conducts the count annually, as mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  • After the initial count, more volunteers and youth peer guides will continue surveying the unhoused population over the next few weeks.

The players

Housing for Health Partnership

The county's federally designated continuum of care that is required to conduct the Point-in-Time Count every two years.

Sheryl Norteye

Senior human services analyst for Santa Cruz County who has organized the Point-in-Time Count since 2021.

Donavan Barclay III

A peer guide who participated in the count for the first time, hoping to help his community and change perceptions about his past.

Carlos Nuño

Manager of the Housing for Health Division of the Human Services Department, who uses the count data to apply for grant funding.

Jillian Ritter

An analyst for First District Supervisor Manu Koenig's office, who receives and publicizes the count data for residents.

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What they’re saying

“They understand the terrain of the unhoused community much better than we do. Peer guides are able to build rapport quickly, reduce stigma. They help teams locate people who may avoid traditional outreach or counts.”

— Sheryl Norteye, Senior human services analyst

“I want to shape up my life and show people I'm not the person everyone thinks I am.”

— Donavan Barclay III

What’s next

In the coming weeks, peer guides will continue to survey hundreds of people experiencing homelessness across the county. The data from the general count and the follow-up surveys will be released sometime this summer, helping the county identify ways to strengthen its outreach efforts.

The takeaway

The annual Point-in-Time Count is a crucial tool for Santa Cruz County to secure funding and understand how to better serve its homeless population. By working with peer guides who have lived experience, the county is able to reach marginalized groups and gather more comprehensive data to inform its policies and strategies to address homelessness.