Lexington volunteers prepare for LexCount to measure homelessness across the city
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The City of Lexington is preparing for this year’s LexCount, an annual effort aimed at better understanding how many people in the community are currently without stable housing or shelter.
The 2026 LexCount will take place Wednesday night after being postponed from late January due to winter weather. City officials say the count helps guide future investments and services by identifying trends in homelessness across Lexington.
Marissa Webb with the Office of Homelessness Prevention says the annual effort plays a critical role in shaping how resources are used.
“This allows us to look at data from years past and see trends. This helps us determine what projects we should be investing in here in the community, what our needs are and what our priorities should be,” Webb said.
Volunteers, service providers and first responders will spread out across the city from 10 p.m. until just before midnight to conduct housing surveys and connect with people experiencing homelessness.
Along with gathering information, teams will also distribute care packages designed to help those living without shelter. Webb says the bags include essential items such as hats, gloves, hand warmers and basic toiletries.
“These care bags are for folks experiencing unsheltered homelessness and include things such as hats, gloves, hot hands, basic toiletry items — really the essentials that folks may need when residing unsheltered,” Webb said.
For Nicole Weir, this will be her first year volunteering with LexCount. She says she signed up after hearing about the effort a few months ago and wanted to give back while learning more about the city.
“I think I’m going to go to areas that I haven’t actually been to in Lexington,” Weir said. “I’ve only lived here a year and a half, and just meeting people where they’re at and getting the chance to talk to people that I wouldn’t have a chance to otherwise.”
City leaders say the information collected during LexCount helps identify community needs, shape outreach strategies and guide long-term solutions aimed at reducing homelessness in Lexington.
