by Jessica Douglas

Working to End Homelessness with the PIT Count

Piece written by Rachel Handler, Housing Policy Manager

What is the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count?

The Point-in-Time, or PIT, Count is a HUD-mandated survey of unhoused people that is conducted across the country on a single night in late January. Each area’s Count is run by the local Continuum of Care, or CoC, which is a coalition of organizations that works together to end homelessness in their community.

The PIT Count is one critical piece of data in the bigger picture of a community’s housing landscape. By getting a ballpark sense of just how many people are unhoused, advocates and providers can design targeted solutions and apply for funding to implement them.

Because the PIT Count is such a huge undertaking, it also means that volunteers are almost always needed to help out. Learn more about the PIT Count and how to get involved to help better advocate to end homelessness in your community: 

How does the PIT Count work?

Each area’s Count is run by the local Continuum of Care, or CoC, which is a coalition of organizations that works together to end homelessness in their community.

The PIT Count has two main components:

  1. A sheltered count, which HUD requires each CoC to conduct every year. This component aims to measure how many folks in an area are sheltered but still technically homeless under HUD criteria (e.g. those staying in emergency shelters or warming beds). Volunteers typically canvass local social services organizations to conduct this survey.
  2. An unsheltered count, which HUD requires each CoC to conduct every other year (although some CoCs, such as Atlanta’s, choose to do so yearly). This component aims to measure how many folks in an area are sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g. woods, alleyways, cars, etc.). Volunteers typically canvass the CoC area throughout the night to find and engage with unsheltered folks.

This evaluation of the housing landscape better equips advocates and providers to implement better, more targeted housing solutions. The PIT Count also collects demographic data about respondents’ membership in marginalized communities (e.g. people living with HIV/AIDS, people with mental illness or disability, etc.)– this level of specificity enables CoCs to better understand the unique housing barriers for particular populations so that housing solutions can be truly equitable.

 

What are the limitations of the PIT Count?

It’s crucial to understand that the PIT Count is a representation of a single point in time, and for many reasons, it’s often a significant undercount of the actual unhoused population. For example, the count doesn’t include people who are couch-surfing, doubling up with family, or living in extended stay motels—even though we intuitively understand that these folks are unhoused, too. For LGBTQ+ advocates, it’s especially important to note that the PIT Count can often substantially undercount LGBTQ+ folks and youth in particular, many of whom may avoid street encampments or congregate shelters for fear of harassment or assault. 

For these reasons and more, it’s best to think of the PIT Count as a “snapshot,” a useful but incomplete data point that helps tell the larger story of homelessness in a community.

 

Want to help with the PIT Count in your area?

The PIT Count is a huge undertaking, and CoCs almost always need volunteers to help out! Volunteers typically need to be 18 years or older and may need to participate in a training beforehand.

Below, you’ll find a list of the nine CoCs in Georgia and information about how to get involved in their PIT Count, if available. We will continue to update this page with information if your CoC hasn’t posted volunteer information yet, or you can follow up with the listed organization directly.

  • Atlanta CoC
  • DeKalb County CoC (excludes City of Atlanta)
  • Fulton County CoC (excludes City of Atlanta)
    • South Fulton Count will take place on January 28th and North Fulton on January 30th
    • Sign-up page
  • Athens-Clarke County CoC
  • Augusta-Richmond County CoC
    • Night Count of unsheltered individuals will take place on January 22nd, with followup daytime canvassing from January 23rd through January 30th
    • Sign-up page
  • Columbus-Muscogee/Russell County CoC
    • Sheltered and unsheltered counts will take place from January 26th through January 29th
    • Training sign-up page (volunteers can sign up for the count itself after completing training)
  • Marietta/Cobb County CoC
  • Savannah/Chatham County CoC
    • Night Count of unsheltered individuals will take place on January 29th
    • Sign-up page (volunteers will need to attend a training session before the Count)
  • GA Balance of State CoC (includes every area of the state not covered by the others)
    • Night Count of unsheltered individuals will take place on January 26th, with follow-up daytime canvassing throughout the following week
    • GA Balance of State CoC coordinates dozens of small local counts, each with a designated lead. Click here to find your county’s lead.
    • Sign-up page