Bethesda Cares, the nonprofit that helps homeless people in Montgomery County find housing and other assistance programs, conducted its annual point-in-time count Thursday night to find out how many homeless individuals are living on the streets.
According to Bethesda Cares outreach coordinator John Mendez, about three dozen volunteers joined with Bethesda Cares staff to comb through areas in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Wheaton and Glenmont, and along Rockville Pike in North Bethesda and Rockville.
An official count won’t be known until later this week, but Mendez said teams identified about 50 homeless people in those areas. The teams found fewer than 10 homeless individuals in downtown Bethesda but found more homeless people than in 2015 in areas around the White Flint Metro station.
Service providers for the homeless and nonprofits help conduct the point-in-time count each January throughout the county to give a better picture of how many homeless people are in particular areas.
Last January, the point-in-time count found a total of 1,100 homeless people throughout Montgomery County, an increase of nearly 24 percent when compared to 2014.
Bethesda Cares moved its point-in-time survey to the evening, instead of the early morning. Mendez said it allowed for more time for the survey and that warmer temperatures than during the 2015 count could've led to homeless individuals being "more visible," rather than in lower-level parking garages or other locations.
The survey Thursday night extended into the early morning hours of Friday, Mendez said.
Volunteers included employees, members and students at local businesses, religious organizations and schools, including Abt Associates, the Bethesda Library, Bethesda United Methodist Church and the Uniformed Services University on the Walter Reed campus.
