INDIANA – As winter sets in, planning is officially underway for one of the most critical annual initiatives in community advocacy: the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count.
Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the PIT Count requires communities nationwide to conduct a comprehensive survey of individuals and families experiencing homelessness on a single night each year. Scheduled for January 27, this year’s count falls within the traditional window during the final two weeks of January.
What is the PIT Count and Why Does It Matter?
For those unfamiliar with the process, the PIT Count is a snapshot of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. Local Continuums of Care (CoCs), regional agencies, and community volunteers mobilize to collect vital data that paints a clear picture of housing insecurity.
The data gathered during the count is essential for several reasons:
- Securing Funding: Accurate counts help communities secure federal funding from HUD to support local shelters, housing programs, and outreach services.
- Guiding Policy: Local and state leaders rely on PIT data to drive public policy and allocate resources where they are needed most.
- Connecting Individuals to Care: Beyond data collection, the count serves as a direct outreach tool, allowing volunteers to interact with hard-to-reach individuals, provide immediate basic supplies, and connect them with critical health and housing services.
Lessons from Past Weather Challenges
Organizers are building flexibility into this year’s schedule. During last year’s count, severe winter weather disrupted operations across multiple regions, prompting organizers to extend the timeframe in which surveys could be conducted.
Because of the success of that flexibility, a survey window extension will continue this year. However, because this extension is not universally mandated by federal guidelines, organizers emphasize that volunteers and community partners must check with their regional PIT Coordinator to get specific instructions and timelines for their local area.
Get Involved: Volunteers Needed
The success of the PIT Count relies heavily on community involvement. Volunteers play an indispensable role in reaching out across neighborhoods and shelters to ensure every unhoused neighbor is counted and seen.
If you are interested in volunteering for the PIT Count in your local area, you are encouraged to connect with your regional PIT Coordinator. To find contact information and email addresses for your specific region, visit the Regional Structure page through your local community network.
