Staff and volunteers from local homeless shelters and community organizations will be conducting a biannual count of unsheltered individuals in Eau Claire, Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties starting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
Known nationally as the Point-In-Time Count, the activity is intended to provide a statistically reliable, unduplicated count of people experiencing homelessness during a designated period twice each year. The data collected during the count is included in the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) that is provided to the U.S. Congress. Homeless information is also reported to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, and is utilized to develop the Housing Inventory Chart for the Balance of State Continuum of Care.
Representatives from Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Hope Gospel Mission, Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley, Catholic Charities, and Bolton Refuge House will be joined by dozens of community members when they begin canvassing at 11 p.m. on January 28. They will be looking for anyone who is unsheltered during the overnight hours, providing outreach and assistance, and obtaining information necessary for the count.
Additional volunteers are needed in the city of Eau Claire and in rural areas. Prospective volunteers may call Western Dairyland at 715-836-7511 or register online at westerndairyland.org/count.
