Michelle Herrera doesn't mind spending a frigid morning outside. She’s the continuum of care planning coordinator for Honor in Orange County, in addition to helping oversee the ‘Point-in-Time’ count in the county.

It’s an at least semiannual, HUD-mandated count of homeless people in each county. It ensures programs like Honor get the necessary funding, and Herrera will leave no spot unchecked to do it.

“That sheds some light to the government on how many homeless we have, and it also helps bring in funding for our permanent supportive housing programs," she said.

It isn't only Herrera out here.

Jennifer Durning, Honor’s outreach coordinator, is also helping the count get done. She said this year, he’s been getting more calls asking for help since New York’s eviction moratorium ended.

So they’ll have a better idea just how much, if at all, homelessness has increased.

“If they’re on fixed income like, say, Social Security, disability and they’re only getting $964 a month, and the rents are going from $1,000 to $1,500, it’s very hard for them to find a place, so they end up homeless," Durning said.

The count is also a crucial time for her to connect homeless people with services that can help.

“The ability to meet more of the unsheltered homeless and connect them with the services they need," Durning said. "Whether it be permanent housing, temporary housing. I’ve assisted a lot of them with obtaining their food stamps and things like that.”

Bag by bag and survey by survey, Durning and Herrera will get the count. Without it, Honor’s services for homeless people wouldn’t be possible.

“Without the HUD funds, we wouldn’t be able to provide permanent supportive housing for the homeless," Herrera said. "With that additional funds, we’re able to create new beds for folks that are homeless so they can have permanent housing.”