The Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry Inc. will conduct its annual homeless survey today and Wednesday.
Last year, the survey showed homelessness in the county increased by 38 percent to 1,781 people. About 25 percent were younger than 18.
Theresa Lowe, director of the Gainesville/Alachua County Office on Homelessness, said it is important to get an accurate count of the number of homeless people and their needs in order to increase program development and funding.
"We will be going out in the streets and trying to find as many people in Alachua County that are homeless so we can get a count," Lowe said.
The numbers are then reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
People are homeless if they live in anything other than permanent housing. Some live in homeless shelters, in motels, with other families, on the streets or in the woods, Lowe said.
The 2011 study stated 45.1 percent of those surveyed had a high school diploma or GED, 19.5 percent had some college experience and 8.1 percent had a college degree.
Arupa Freeman, Gainesville resident, said someone needs to take into account the homeless.
"They are scared, and they need friends," she said.
