San Luis Obispo County’s streets were busier than usual early on Jan. 27, but not with rush-hour traffic. At 5:30 a.m., more than 240 volunteers fanned out across the county from San Miguel to the Santa Maria Riverbed, as part of the 2026 countywide Point-in-Time (PIT) Count—a biennial effort to tally individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
The PIT Count, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), combines volunteer observations with data from homeless service providers to create a comprehensive picture of homelessness across the county.
“This is the nation’s largest comprehensive census of people experiencing homelessness,” said Kari Howell, homeless management information system program manager for SLO County. “Every volunteer who generously shared their time offers us the opportunity to better understand and address local homelessness.”
Volunteers gathered at seven logistics centers throughout the county, each group accompanied by at least one trained homeless services worker. After completing a two-hour training session, they learned how to use a mobile app for surveys and how to interact respectfully with individuals experiencing homelessness.
“Volunteers are encouraged to greet individuals from afar in a friendly way,” Howell explained. “Make sure that folks have an exit at any time, so not to crowd around a person. And we’re taught to be very respectful and compassionate when we ask these questions.”
Cecil Hale, homeless services manager at Community Action Partnership SLO (CAPSLO), led one volunteer team along downtown San Luis Obispo and the railroad tracks, covering roughly 5 miles and interacting with 15 individuals, completing 10 interviews.
Both Howell and Hale emphasized the collaborative nature of the effort, with volunteers, service providers, and community members working together to capture an accurate snapshot of the county’s most vulnerable residents.
Hale has been in homeless services for 14 years and described the work as an “incredible privilege.”
“I consider it my ministry. … I’ve seen how much a person’s life can change just from being housed, financially to health and socially,” he said. “It’s just rewarding to see someone go from a tent in a field and to watch them move into housing and get their new keys.”
The early start is intentional. According to Howell, beginning the count at dawn allows volunteers to reach individuals living in vehicles, a growing segment of the county’s homeless population, before they leave for work or relocate. Volunteers were assigned specific census tracts and were encouraged to ensure complete geographic coverage, walking the areas for a minimum of three hours.
The data collected in the PIT Count informs local and federal homelessness response efforts including funding allocations.
“We review the data in-house, de-duplicate surveys, and submit aggregate results to HUD,” Howell said.
The county hopes to release the 2026 findings as early as spring, allowing agencies and policymakers to act on the information quickly.
According to a community report, in 2024, the PIT Count identified 1,175 individuals experiencing homelessness in SLO County. Of those individuals, 68 percent were experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Most of those individuals were located in the cities of SLO, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, and Atascadero.
Beyond the numbers, Hale said, the PIT Count is an opportunity to humanize the experience of homelessness.
“These individuals are someone’s child, parent, or sibling,” Hale said. “They just need a little help to get back into society.”
For more information about the PIT Count or volunteer opportunities in future years, contact HDS_PITCount@co.slo.ca.us. ∆
Correction, February 2, 2026 8:26 am: This story was updated to clarify the percentage of individuals in SLO County experiencing unsheltered homelessness. New Times incorrectly stated that 72 percent of individuals in SLO County were experiencing sheltered homelessness. That's incorrect. Out of 1,025 households, 72 percent were experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 5, 2026.