PIT Counts And The Data We Track
Last month, we discussed MACCH’s role in the local Continuum of Care (CoC) as laid out by HUD. We organize the local CoC organizations to create an efficient system for meeting unhoused folx where they are and helping them access support systems in the community.
Since that time, we have conducted our mandated annual Point in Time (PIT) count. PIT counts are an important function for Continuums of Care across the country. In order to gain an accurate estimation of the unhoused community, CoCs coordinate a PIT count to report the numbers of folx living in shelters or on the street on a single night in January every year. During the PIT count, our Street Outreach team also delivers human necessities to the people that they encounter.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to justify the amount of funding required to support our country’s unhoused community, but PIT counts allow advocates to define the reality of homelessness. On a national level, PIT counts are shared with lawmakers who in turn authorize funding to the local CoCs. On a local level, PIT counts help us strategically distribute resources and maintain accurate data on the community.
PIT data takes time to verify and MACCH will again report on our local figures once HUD has confirmed the data submitted. For now, we have access to 2023’s numbers, which paint an unsettling picture of homelessness in the US.
At a point in time in January 2023, 653,104 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. Per HUD, this is the highest number of people reported as experiencing homelessness on a single night since reporting began in 2007. Unlike previous years though, 2023’s increases were across all measured populations such as veterans, youth, young adults, elderly, etc.
These trends appear within some, but not all, populations within our CoC. For example, the rate of older unhoused adults (ages 55+) locally rose to 23.1% in accordance with the national trend. Fortunately, we recorded steady (as opposed to increased) rates of homelessness among youth and young adults ages 18-24 (7%) as well as military veterans (6.2%) over the past few years. While our goal is a PIT count of 0 across the board, steady rates at a time when rates for all other populations are rising are welcome.
Between 2022 and 2023—just one calendar year—the number of unsheltered individuals increased by about 23,000 people representing an 11 percent increase. While recent increases were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to note that the number of unsheltered folx has been rising for several years. Locally, this trend mirrors national reports—the rate has been rising consistently for approximately 5 years. For reference, the local rate of unsheltered homelessness was only 3.2% in 2019, while rising sharply to 13.9% in 2023.
Increases in sheltered homelessness, especially among families, are likely related to expiring protections such as COVID-19 eviction moratoria and income insurances. Partially contributing to this increase is that many shelters have expanded capacity in recent years in addition to the elimination of the lower shelter caps of the high pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
We are looking forward to receiving the 2024 official data in order to continue our work to:
Address the needs within our local community that will prevent homelessness.
Minimize the length of time people are experiencing homelessness.
Advocate for policies that focus on housing security for all our neighbors.
If you or a neighbor are facing housing instability, please connect with MACCH through our Access Points and CoC organizations in our community. Our CoC’s network of resources helps prevent individuals and families from facing housing insecurity and gain access to safe, quality housing.
Please add us on Facebook and X to stay connected and engage in our community’s collective response to housing insecurity in Douglas, Sarpy, and Pottawattamie Counties.
