Late tonight, a group of 500 volunteers will disperse onto the streets of Seattle.

Equipped with pens, notepads and an open mind, they will pose questions to the hundreds of people they encounter who don’t have a cozy bed to curl up in each night.

The group Homeless Needs Assessment (HNA), in concert with the UW, is conducting the survey of unsheltered homeless people in an effort to better direct resources toward services that may help improve the homeless situation in Seattle.

“One of the things we would try to assess would be, ‘how do people move into homelessness?’” said professor Theodore Klastorin, who has been heavily involved with the design of the survey. “How do people move out of homelessness? What does the city need to do to move people out of the homeless population?”

Between 9 p.m. and midnight, the volunteers will approach everyone on their assigned block and inquire if the people outside have somewhere indoors to sleep for the night. If someone responds “no,” they will then be asked if they are willing to respond to a series of questions.

Amoshaun Toft, a communication graduate student researching social movement communication and homeless organization, warned against stereotyping, as many people associate certain styles of dress or behavior with homelessness.

“If someone has a big beard or messy hair or disheveled clothing, it is assumed they’re homeless,” Toft said.

Klastorin elaborated, saying that the survey’s engineers seek to avoid making assumptions about the homeless.

The survey is the first of its kind to take place in the city of Seattle, modeled after a similar survey performed in Toronto, Ontario. The results from the Toronto survey proved to be a useful tool, sparking policy changes that led to a significant reduction in Toronto’s homeless population.

A similar survey called the One Night Count was performed in King County earlier this year, though it was only a basic street count of unsheltered homeless.

The new survey differs from the One Night Count in that it addresses solely the city of Seattle and instead of simply tallying heads, it invites dialogue with the homeless.

“The One Night Count doesn’t ask anybody any questions,” Klastorin said. “It’s just trying to figure out the number of homeless people … in different areas. There’s a lot of uncertainty associated with it.”

The HNA has planned extensively for the survey, and volunteers have had to complete a training session about proper etiquette and safety before going out tonight.

“Your conduct should be professional,” said Anita Rocha, statistical programmer and data manager for the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology. “You’re not to crowd someone or offer to give them things.”

Volunteers will be trekking through Seattle in groups of three and following a designated route, explained Rocha, who is also a survey volunteer. The Seattle Police Department is also aware of the survey.

Once the results are compiled into a database, they can be used as a resource to advocate for funding, housing and other services that may be lacking in the homeless community.

“We’ll take a look at what we learned and identify areas where we can improve the services we provide,” said HNA project manager Lynda Petersen.

Reach reporter Rachel Solomon at news@dailyuw.com.