Teams of volunteers combed Bronx streets early Tuesday morning to count how many homeless people are living on the streets.

This is the second year the city?s Department of Homeless Services held the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE). Volunteers walked up and down the city?s streets for four hours asking people if they would like to take a homeless survey. As part of the program, volunteers also invited homeless people into the city?s many shelters.

Department officials say HOPE was created to determine if the city?s shelters are being utilized. The results of the survey will be compared to last year?s to see if the homeless population has changed. The department expects the final results of the count by the end of March.