Definition
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness, conducted in all communities in the United States. Through a coordinated effort, housing support agencies aim to interview all people who meet the federal definition of “literal homelessness” on a single day in January, whether they are unsheltered or temporarily sheltered in places such as emergency housing, a publicly funded hotel room, or transitional housing.
Since 2007, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has required all states to conduct an annual PIT Count to continue receiving funds for homelessness assistance. The resulting dataset is the only comprehensive view of people experiencing homelessness in the United States over time. The survey is conducted annually during the last week of January – the data does not show how many people are entering and exiting homelessness in an area over the year, instead focusing on accurately recording the instances of homelessness on the night of the survey.
The survey is administered across the country by local housing service providers through a coalition model known as the Continuum of Care (CoC). Vermont has two HUD-recognized Continua of Care (CoCs): the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance (CCHA) which covers Chittenden County and the Vermont Balance of State CoC (VT BoS CoC) that encompasses the other 11 counties. Each region in the state also has a local group focused on regional homelessness prevention and intervention efforts. These groups were formerly called Local CoCs and are now called Local Housing Coalitions.
The results of PIT are likely an under-count of the true instances of homelessness in a community. Collecting the data is highly resource intensive, requiring the coordination of many agencies attempting to reach some of the most marginalized Vermonters. The data is reliant on housing support workers and volunteers counting and interviewing people sleeping in unsheltered locations during the January weather. Vermont consistently has a much greater portion of people in temporary shelter during the survey than people who are fully unsheltered. The count also does not include people imminently at risk of homelessness or who may be living somewhere temporarily (couch surfing or staying with family) as the data would be too difficult to collect.
For more information about the Point in Time Count, visit the HUD PIT website or visit the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont for state specific resources.
