The Homeless Count

danpolk
How do you count homeless people?
Why would you count homeless people?

7 years old is the average age of someone homeless in LA.
This new startling statistic is a sign of a changing homeless population.

Children are the fastest growing homeless demographic, along with their mothers, who have to sleep in their car or on the streets. The changing economy is presenting changing data.

Every two years the government obtains updated data on a city's homeless population. It is with this data that policy makers allocate appropriate funds to the streets, shelters, and blocks that desperately need it the most.

But where does this data come from? It isn't gathered by government workers, but by common volunteers with efficient execution and organization.

This group took on counting the homeless of Los Angeles as their mission, and the streets of Skid Row became their urban field.

Daniel Polk reports on why everybody counts.
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    Community,   VC2 Top Contenders US,   Collective Journalism,   Population Pressure
  2. tags:
    News Current TV VC2 Top Contenders US Collective Journalism 12 more
  3. credits:
    danpolk Reporter
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