Annual Point-in-Time Counts Offer a Snapshot of Triangle-Area Homelessness

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Good morning, readers.

At the end of January, my colleague Chloe and I had the opportunity to join hundreds of volunteers, including local officials and other community leaders, in Point-In-Time counts in Durham and Wake County, respectively.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) asks communities that receive federal funding for homelessness services to conduct an annual PIT count—a survey of people experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness in that community.

On the ground, the PIT count is an up-close look at the true hardship facing our homeless population. During canvassing, we witnessed folks living out of cars, tents and other makeshift shelters, or living with no shelter options at all. Housing for New Hope CEO Russell Pierce says that volunteers who participate in the count often report that they have a transformative experience. They also find a greater understanding of what struggles our unhoused neighbors are facing and how they can make a difference in their everyday lives.

Pierce and others also raised concerns about how changes in federal leadership could negatively impact housing work at the ground level. Local organizations are scrambling to understand how the potential shakeups in Washington will affect access to funding and other resources. Folks who run these organizations say there is a need for more volunteers year-round, not just during PIT count one night a year.

You can read more about the canvassing effort in Durham and Wake County here. Have a good Tuesday.

 —Justin

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