Yearly Point-in-Time Count is an Essential Tool in Fight Against Homelessness
There are nearly 600,000 people who experience homelessness in the United States but where does that number come from?
The Homeless Point-in-Time Count (PIT) is completed in many cities and counties across the nation every January, and reflects a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness in our communities. Housing and Urban Development (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.
Obtaining an accurate count of families and individuals experiencing homelessness is critical to helping communities throughout the country attract state and federal funding and supports HomeAid and other organizations in local planning efforts to address the growing public health crisis of homelessness.
On January 25th & 26th, HomeAid Inland Empire (HAIE) participated in the Riverside County and San Bernardino County Homeless Point-In-Time Counts. Executive Director Matt Friedlander was joined by HAIE Board President Brian King and HAIE Board Affiliate Jennifer Johnson. Each day, the teams met up at local community centers at 5:00 AM for a quick training session and then were dispatched to designated areas. Over the course of the two mornings, they encountered more than 20 individuals experiencing homelessness and were able to interview 15 of them.
After the interview, these folks were given backpacks filled with essentials such as personal hygiene items, socks, snacks, water, and a blanket as well as information on where they could receive services such as food, clothing, healthcare, and
shelter.
“Going out there those mornings was an eye-opening experience, and it really brings the issue of homelessness front and center. If given the opportunity, I highly recommend volunteering to take part in this effort when the next one comes to your community in January 2024”
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. 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.
HUD provides PIT count reports of sheltered and unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness, by household type and subpopulation. This data is available at the national and state level, and for each CoC. HUD also provides HIC reports, which provide a snapshot of a CoC’s inventory of beds and units available on the night designated for the count by program type, and include beds dedicated to serve persons who are homeless as well as persons in Permanent Supportive Housing.
The 2023 PIT numbers should be available soon and for more information on previous numbers, please see these links: