Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Night is Fast Approaching
The Point-In-Time (PIT) Count is fast approaching. This year’s PIT night is next Wednesday, January 26, 2022. This annual count of people experiencing homelessness involves HMIS users, ICA staff, CoC Coordinators, county staff and volunteers - just to name a few.
The unsheltered count will be conducted this year; however, due to the pandemic, HUD and the Minnesota Department of Health have given communities guidance for the 2022 unsheltered count, urging them to prioritize safety.
Which Agencies Participate in the Sheltered Count?
Any agency that has an Emergency Shelter (ES), Safe Haven (SH), or Transitional Housing (TH) program is asked to participate, regardless of funding source or HMIS participation. This includes new and temporary shelters. On the same night as the PIT, the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is collected, which provides a snapshot of a CoC’s inventory of beds and units available to serve people experiencing homelessness.
Who is Counted?
Individuals and families experiencing homelessness in ES, SH, and TH programs, and unsheltered homeless populations.
How Does PIT Happen?
At the agency level, for HMIS-participating programs, it is business as usual. Just be sure to continue your thorough, complete, and timely data entry in HMIS. For agencies not participating in HMIS, you will need to complete a survey for each client and family served on that night. Your CoC Coordinator will share instructions.
The unsheltered count takes place in a variety of ways, depending on geography, events, and organizations involved. At its core, the “count” is really a face-to-face survey with a person experiencing homelessness someplace not meant for habitation (e.g. a car, bus station, skyway) that takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Most surveyors are volunteers.
What Should I Do?
HMIS ES and TH agencies: Be sure you have up-to-date data collection forms. If an individual or household is no longer being served by your project, please exit them out of your project in MN HMIS. You can use the Clients Exceeding Max Length of Stay report to help identify these clients. Conduct timely and complete data entry for everyone in your program on PIT night.
ES and TH agencies or projects who do not or do not yet participate in HMIS: Ensure your CoC Coordinator has your contact information and that you receive the 2022 PIT Count survey. Staff up for the PIT night so you have capacity to administer the survey for everyone you serve that night. If your agency is unable to complete surveys with everyone you serve that night, you may need to provide aggregate data to your CoC Coordinator.
You can find your CoC region and Coordinator contact information here.
Folks who are assisting in the unsheltered count: Reach out to your CoC Coordinator for direction on your region.
Resources
You can access the updated training materials for the 2022 PIT Count, including the paper survey (long and short versions) and PIT LIVE practice page, on our Point-in-Time Count webpage at hmismn.org.
Questions? Contact our Helpdesk at mnhmis@icalliances.org.