Wildfire Aftermath Presents Pasadena’s Homeless Count with Unprecedented Challenges

Pasadena launches its annual Homeless Count this week, amidst widespread disaster impacts which have affected volunteers and people experiencing homelessness alike. Officials and volunteers will navigate a unique set of circumstances due to the Eaton Fire.

At first, as the count’s organizers reeled from the fallout of the Eaton Fire, the Pasadena Partnership to End Homelessness and City Housing Department postponed their January count to February 19-20, aligning with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) regional schedule.

“This count isn’t just numbers—it’s how we advocate for all our unhoused neighbors, which now includes wildfire victims who may face long-term homelessness,” said Dan Davidson, Homeless Count Coordinator and Rosebud Coffee founder, speaking on February 15.

The Fire’s ongoing effects mean the operation lost dozens of volunteers who committed in January leading Pasadena Media and community organizations to recruit new volunteers within a month’s time. With extra recruitment efforts, volunteer registration is now only 12% below 2024 levels.

Assistant Coordinator Erika Fay Gottfredson will help manage logistics for more than 175 volunteers.

Teams of four to five people will cover 28 geographic zones, using a mobile, GIS-enabled survey tool. The Count will take place across the city’s entire geography, including freeway embankments, parks, and fire-damaged neighborhoods. Volunteers will also count at city libraries and service provider sites active on the day of the count.

All participants are recommended to wear N95 masks to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases that might impact our neighbors experiencing homelessness, as per Public Health Department input.

The count encompasses evening surveys (from 8 to 10 p.m.), morning counts (from 6 to 8 a.m.), and a specialized afternoon youth count (from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.) targeting people aged 18 to 24.

Teams will distribute over 400 cold-weather kits containing hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers and resource guides.

Volunteers completed a mandatory Zoom orientation on February 12 and collected the cold weather kits and other volunteer supplies on February 13.

Youth specialists received additional training through an online Zoom orientation.

The data collected informs the city’s strategic planning and funding of homeless services throughout the year and is used by state and federal funders in the allocation of housing grants.

The count takes place while officials make plans for a $1 million Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) grant recent awarded to the city by HUD.

Results of the Homeless Count be available by June 2025, after a standard data verification and analysis process.