At the end of this month, CSH staff will join with other volunteers throughout the country for this year’s Point in Time Count, a canvassing that produces a snapshot census of the homeless population in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities receiving federal funds from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program to conduct a Point-in-Time Count to identify homeless individuals and families. The first of these counts was conducted in January 2005.
Point-in-time Counts are important because they establish the dimensions of the problem and help policymakers and program administrators track progress toward the goal of ending homelessness. Collecting data and tracking year-to-year progress can inform public opinion, increase public awareness, and attract resources and refine services that will help us end homelessness.
Without compromising the process in any way, or identifying or photographing any person surveyed, CSH staff will be tweeting about their experiences while at their training sites – before and after the count is conducted. Some will be videotaping their reflections for posting on our YouTube channel. Also before and after the count is conducted.
If you are volunteering for Point in Time and would like to share any of your observations with us, join us in tweeting, or submit a video of you and your fellow surveyors explaining Point in Time and what you encountered, please refer to our guidelines: Every Surveyor Has a Story.
Keep an eye on Homefront, where we will print some of the stories shared in future editions.
