WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - The United Way of the Plains and the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County counted the areas homeless on Thursday. The annual Point-in-Time Count is conducted in January. HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) requires Continuums of Care to do the annual count because it manages the yearly process for funding homeless services in Sedgwick County. Cole Schnieders, United Way of the Plains Continuum of Care Planning Manager, led the data collection with nearly 150 volunteers. "Anyone who we don't find on the street if they spent the night in one of the many homeless service programs we have in Sedgwick County, we'll have counted them through there," he said. Salina company to close, laying off 98 workers He said the count is essential in reaching the goal of functional zero homelessness. "We end homelessness through housing, we end homelessness through shelter programs, finding folks jobs, substance abuse recovery, 101 things, but every time we fill a need and get someone stable, there's always someone else that we're working to work on," he added. The last Point-In-Time Homeless Count in Wichita-Sedgwick County was conducted on Jan. 25, 2024. The results showed 691 homeless persons in Wichita-Sedgwick County, compared to 702 in 2023 and 690 in 2022. "We always encourage folks to go to shelter access resources that way, but this year, we're also asking folks if they need anything else that we can follow up with them on," he added.