Volunteers conduct count of the number of homeless people in NYC

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City's annual homeless count begins Monday night.

Nearly 4,000 volunteers will fan out across the five boroughs starting at 10 p.m. as part of the Department of Homeless Services' annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)

They will help count the number of unsheltered people in the streets, parks, subways and other public spaces.

The survey, mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is used to help reduce homelessness.

The data assists the city's outreach teams in their efforts to reach homeless people and encourage them to transition off the streets to a more safe, stable environment.

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