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About 300 volunteers went to various parts of the island Friday to conduct an annual Point-In-Time count of people experiencing homelessness.
It’s a single-day count of homeless individuals and families in sheltered and unsheltered locations.
Data from the count provides a statistically reliable snapshot of homeless people and helps service providers better understand trends in homelessness.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Guam counted 1,075 homeless individuals in 2023.
There were 169 in emergency shelters, five in transitional housing and 901 unsheltered individuals, 2023 data from HUD shows.
During the annual count, volunteers seek out people living in substandard places, such as abandoned buildings, bus stops, vehicles, tents and makeshift houses. They also survey those who are part of public emergency shelters and transitional housing programs.
Guam Homeless Coalition chairperson Samantha Taitano on Friday said about 300 volunteers signed up for the 2024 count and went through training before they were sent out.
Different teams arrived at the Salvation Army in Tiyan throughout Friday to meet up for briefings before heading out to various parts of the island to find those homeless, she said.