'Not All Of Us Want To Stay Here': Volunteers Begin Homeless Census In Tulsa

Volunteers started counting homeless people again on Friday.

They said an accurate count ensures there are enough resources to help them.

The Tulsa homeless census happens each year in January when more people are in shelters and easier to find, but teams will be going out to find people wherever they are living.

The small squad of volunteers gathered at Iron Gate ready to count.

Some wouldn't have to go far since people lined up outside on the sidewalk waiting for help.

Just across the parking lot, a man named Duane, who counts on help from Iron Gate, has been doing his own census.

"I see a lot of new faces all the time and it could be that some of the new faces are just people I don't run into because I don't venture too far out of downtown," Duane said.

Even though appearances indicate homelessness is growing, the count helps bring some clarity to the numbers and understanding of the situation.

"A lot of times it's a different story than we think it might be so it's important to have actual data to inform our strategies," said Ginny Hensley with A Way Home for Tulsa.

Teams over the next day will search out people wherever they are, whether it's the scattered tents in woods on the edge of downtown, or someone camping underneath a bridge.

"We really try to do everything we can while keeping safety paramount to reach these individuals to get that accurate count so we get these resources in our community," Hensley said.

In the recent cold, Tulsans stepped up with warm clothes, with shelters able to predict the need in part based on the count from years past.

"They help out what they can, even to the ones, it's our choice and our fault that we're out here, but not all of us want to stay out here," Duane said.

The goal is to help people out of the situation they're in, but that starts with understanding just how many people need help.

New numbers will be available in February.