Point-In-Time Count (PIT):

Point-In-Time Count (PIT): The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates that Continuums of Care perform an annual count of sheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. Additionally, Continuums of Care must conduct a biennial count of unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness. Each count is locally planned, coordinated, and executed.

The Point-in-Time Count is crucial because it provides the primary data for federal funding allocations and national homelessness estimates. The numbers reported by your community are used by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and all federal departments, including Housing and Education. Additionally, PIT Count numbers are frequently cited in local strategic plans, as well as by state, county, and city governments, and the media.