Volunteer to Help NYC Count Our Homeless

Every year, the Department of Homeless Services conducts the Homeless Population Outreach Estimate – or HOPE. Over the course of just one night, HOPE marshalls 3,000 volunteers to gather critical information about the city’s homeless:

Why is HOPE important and what does DHS do with the results?
The HOPE Street Survey provides an estimate of the street homeless population, which helps us to evaluate and improve our services for unsheltered homeless people in New York City. Last year’s street survey, HOPE 2011, found the number of individuals living on the street down by 40 percent from 2005 – a powerful sign of progress in the City’s fight to overcome homelessness.

It’s a late night – this year’s event will be on Monday, January 28 from 10:30pm to 4am the following day. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, though they accept minors who are 16 and 17 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

I volunteered in Manhattan in 2011 and found it extremely rewarding. If you’re worried about safety, they’re very conscious about it. You go out in a group of at least around 6 people, and if you’re assigned to cover a desolate area, a police officer is assigned to accompany you. This is a huge operation and, believe it or not, generally well run.

When you register, you will select a training site location. There are sites throughout the five boroughs, one of which is Brooklyn College. However, they’re doing things a little differently this year. It’s first come, first served, and it appears that Brooklyn College is full. The closest site to us in Brooklyn now seems to be a brief subway ride away in Coney Island. Not that you may wind up covering our area even if you train in Coney Island.

Check out the FAQs and then register here. It’s really worth it.