David Tucker walks along the along the Kansas River, trying to ID people who might be living out in the cold. A study released Wednesday said the homeless population of Kansas was shrinking.

Volunteers are braving the cold in 40 Kansas counties — including Douglas — to count the number of people who are homeless.

The count Wednesday aims to establish how many people are homeless in Kansas, how long they’ve been without homes and what conditions put them on the streets. Results of the study are expected to be released in April.

Volunteers will survey homeless individuals who are staying in shelters or living in cars, abandoned buildings, under bridges, and other such places.

Federal grants are given to communities and organizations that take part in homeless assistance planning programs, or what’s called Continuum of Care networks. Kansas has five such networks which provide services to the homeless across the state.

The counts are required for networks seeking to maintain and use federal funding.

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