The 2011 headcount of homeless residents in the bay area and surrounding communities became official Feb. 23. The count, officially referred to as the “Point-In-Time Count,” showed a combined tally of 789 homeless persons who were surveyed to pinpoint exactly how many people are on the streets and determine how best the city and county can allocate services and outreach, according to Tim Sandiford, a member of the Ocean Beach Clergy Group and head of the county’s Regional Task Force on the Homeless. The bay area is divided into five subdivisions: Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Midway/Sports Arena Boulevard and Old Town. Sandiford said city and county officials anticipated the high number because there is a growing number of people who co-habitate in vehicles. In Ocean Beach alone, task force officils identified 389 homeless residents — about half of the total count obtained for the entire area. Task force volunteers identified 220 homeless residents in Mission Beach and Mission Bay, while another 150 were documented in the Midway/Sports Arena Boulevard area. Sandiford said volunteers identified the fewest number of homeless in the Old Town area — 18. For more information on the 2011 homeless headcount, call the Regional Task Force on the Homeless at (858) 292-7627.