1 week Ago By JESSAMYN DODD Staff Writer
EL CENTRO — Early morning on Friday January 24, the Imperial County Department of Social Services, the Imperial Valley Continuum of Care Council’s Point-In-Time (PIT) Committee, and community volunteers kicked off the 2025 Point-In-Time Count to assess homelessness in the region. The initiative, mandated by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), aims to provide crucial data on homelessness and identify gaps in resources to better serve vulnerable populations. Volunteers gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Sports Pavilion in El Centro at 5:00 AM to conduct the annual count.
Paula S. Llanas, Director of Imperial County Department of Social Services, was on hand to speak with the media prior to the event. “This effort, as mandated by the U.
S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a community-wide effort conducted annually throughout the entire country and provides an opportunity for residents to actively contribute and learn about people who are experiencing homelessness and gain an understanding of the resources available to address homelessness in Imperial County,” the county said in a previous email. The count involves teams surveying individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the county.
While the PIT count cannot capture everyone who may experience homelessness throughout the year, it provides a snapshot that shapes local strategies and federal funding decisions. In 2024, the total number of homeless individuals in Imperial County was at least 1,500. Results from the 2025 count will influence HUD’s allocation of Continuum of Care funding, which supports local governments and nonprofit providers in addressing homelessness nationwide.
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