WHAT IS THE HOMELESS POINT IN TIME "PIT" COUNT?
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. HUD requires that Continuums of Care conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. Continuums of Care also must conduct a count of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness every other year (odd numbered years). Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally. The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is a point-in-time inventory of provider programs within a Continuum of Care that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness (and, for permanent housing projects, where homeless at entry, per the HUD homeless definition), categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re-housing; Safe Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.
​
The annual count helps CSCoC members to strategically address the housing and service needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. The process helps to ensure annual funding to our community that provides crucial housing and supportive services for this vulnerable population, benefiting the community. The numbers collected drastically affect the amount of funding provided.
To make the PIT Count as accurate as possible, teams span out across each County to count and survey homeless who sleep outdoors, in parks, alleys, under bridges, or in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, abandoned buildings, garages or other structures without electricity or running water.
The process of surveying helps to identify local trends among the homeless population such as families with children, unaccompanied youth, the chronically homeless, and veterans; and helps identify the magnitude of challenges such as drug use or mental/physical health issues.
Each PIT worker (18 & over) is asked to attend a training session. Volunteer recruitment for the 2024 PIT Count will begin in late 2023 and the actual count will take place on January 24, 2024.
​