Aurora and Arapahoe County are looking for volunteers to help with the annual point in time (PIT) homelessness count, which will happen in late January. 

The PIT count, an annual count of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless people, is scheduled to happen in Aurora and Arapahoe County on Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and is part of a national effort to identify the extent of homelessness in the country on a given day.

Anyone interested in volunteering in Aurora’s PIT count should visit the city’s volunteer portal at AuroraGov.org/Volunteer. Volunteers will cover designated areas with a team and survey homeless people about their needs.

In Arapahoe County, interested volunteers can sign up through the county’s volunteer connections portal. Volunteers will be stationed at a variety of locations across the county from sunset on Jan. 27 through sunset on Jan. 28.

This year’s PIT count found there were 697 homeless people in Aurora. There are currently 130 to 150 shelter beds available on any given night, according to the city. Aurora is also about 7,500 to 8,500 affordable housing units short.

In Arapahoe County this year, 650 homeless people were counted in the annual PIT count.

Aurora plans to open the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus in 2025, part of the city’s “tough love” approach to managing the challenge. 

Purchased by the city in January, the campus will consolidate services for homeless people in one location once it is established in 2025, according to city plans.

“Aurora’s annual count is essential for making informed, year-round decisions to support our most vulnerable residents,” Emma Knight, manager of homelessness services in Aurora, said. “This data guides service planning, including programs at the planned Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, which is set to open in late 2025.”