Hundreds of people will carry out the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Point-In-Time Count on Thursday. The count is a federally mandated census for U.S. counties and is a "snapshot" of how many people are living unsheltered on one day of the year. Starting early in the morning, volunteers drive down streets, visit libraries, parking garages, churches and parks, searching for people experiencing homelessness. But for many counties across the nation, conducting a PIT count is too risky. This week, the Monterey/San Benito Continuum of Care applied for and was granted an exception by HUD and will not conduct its count.