On any given night in Dallas and Collin counties there are nearly 4,000 homeless people – 700 of them unsheltered, sleeping on the streets.
That's according to a count of the homeless population last year.
The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance is looking for volunteers to again help count the people who live in the shadows, hidden in plain sight.
"It's a sad truth of Dallas," said Jennifer Clayton, as she sat in front of the downtown Dallas library with her sleeping bag roll. "We'll head off to a spot to sleep tonight."
The annual count is called the Point in Time Homeless Count.
"The more people we have participating in the process, the more accurate the count," said Cindy Crain, with the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
The count is meant to show what the unmet needs are for the homeless. It can also shed light for those who volunteer to count.
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"When you're out of doors and unsheltered, you're really very vulnerable," Crain explained. "And you come away learning that when you participate in the homeless count."
Crain said the Homeless Alliance helped place many people in housing after the so-called Tent City closed in Dallas earlier this year.
"I'm hoping at worst it's the same," Crain said, about the upcoming homeless count. "At best, about 200 less."
"We spend all of our days up at this library trying to warm up because there's really nothing else we can do," Clayton said.
She said she's been living on the streets since August.
"I know there's like everything out here, everything bad out here, like from murders to rapists to everything out here," she said.
But over the weekend, Clayton said she was awakened out of a cold night's sleep by people donating sleeping bags and toiletries.
"It is the season of giving, what I'm being told," she said.
The Point in Time Homeless Count happens across the country during the last 10 days of January. In Dallas and Collin counties it will be on the night of Jan. 26. If you'd like to more information click here, and to sign up to volunteer click here.
