First what is a point in time count? A point in time count is a count on a single night of the people in a community who are experiencing homelessness; that includes both sheltered and unsheltered populations.
Every year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities receiving federal funds for Homeless Assistance to conduct sheltered counts of people living in emergency shelter or transitional housing. Every other year, HUD requires communities to conduct unsheltered counts of people living in a place unfit for human habitation (such as in an abandoned building or in a park). The Saginaw CoC conducts both counts annually.
HUD requires that these counts occur during the last week of January. Point-in-time counts are important because they establish the dimensions of the problem of homelessness and help policymakers and program administrators track progress toward the goal of ending homelessness. Collecting data on homelessness and tracking progress can inform public opinion, increase public awareness, and attract resources that will lead to the eradication of the problem.
HUD uses this information to present a report to Congress. This report is meant to inform Congress about the number of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. and the effectiveness of HUD’s programs and policies in decreasing those numbers. Congress also uses this data to help determine funding levels for HUD.
On the local level, point-in-time counts help communities plan services and programs to appropriately address local needs, measure progress in decreasing homelessness, and identify strengths and gaps in a community’s current homelessness assistance system.
If you’d like to volunteer contact: jcovert@unitedwaysaginaw.org