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| Point-in-Time Count | |
|---|---|
| Name | Point-in-Time Count |
| Type | Survey operation |
| Discipline | Demography |
| Developed by | United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Alliance to End Homelessness, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness |
| First conducted | 1990s |
| Frequency | Annual / Biennial |
| Country | United States and international adaptations |
Point-in-Time Count The point-in-time count is an enumerative survey technique used by United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, local governments, and nonprofit organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. Originating from policy initiatives like the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act and coordinated by agencies linked to Presidential administrations and interagency bodies, the count informs planning by connecting operational datasets with advocacy efforts led by groups including Coalition for the Homeless (New York City) and National Alliance to End Homelessness. Implementation involves collaboration among municipal leaders, continuum of care entities, and volunteers from organizations such as Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide.
The count is designed as a one-night snapshot to produce statewide and local estimates for reporting to entities like United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and for inclusion in reports by think tanks such as the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and Migration Policy Institute. Results feed into policy debates involving legislation such as the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act and program funding by foundations including the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations. The operation intersects with municipal strategies adopted in cities like Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, and San Francisco and informs regional planning consortia and service providers such as Catholic Charities USA.
Methodological guidance typically published by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development prescribes sheltered counts at facilities managed by organizations like YMCA of the USA and People's Health Centers and unsheltered outreach following protocols promoted by research centers such as HUD User and National Alliance to End Homelessness. The standard methodology combines direct enumeration, observational surveys, and brief questionnaires adapted from instruments used by researchers at Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of California, Los Angeles to capture demographic variables, veteran status linked to Department of Veterans Affairs programs, and chronicity aligning with criteria from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sampling frames may reference administrative lists from agencies like Department of Social Services (New York) and shelter management systems developed by vendors such as Efforts to Outcomes.
Operational logistics require coordination among municipal offices like the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, faith-based providers such as The Salvation Army, universities, and volunteer networks coordinated by organizations like AmeriCorps. Training modules often incorporate best practices from Federal Emergency Management Agency incident management and data security standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology. Field teams map geographic sectors using tools employed by planners in New York City Department of City Planning and San Francisco Planning Department, while outreach leverages partnerships with health systems including Kaiser Permanente and Mount Sinai Health System for identifying people in places not intended for habitation.
Single-night enumeration produces temporal and definitional limitations noted by scholars at University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, and Princeton University. Seasonal variation, outreach coverage, and respondent mobility introduce sampling bias critiqued in publications by American Psychological Association and policy analyses from RAND Corporation. Undercount risks affect subpopulations such as youth linked to programs by YouthBuild USA, survivors of domestic violence served by shelters like Sanctuary for Families, and undocumented immigrants interacting with organizations like National Immigration Law Center. Data harmonization challenges arise when integrating counts with administrative data from agencies such as Social Security Administration and Department of Health and Human Services.
Findings influence funding allocations from United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, strategic plans by mayors in municipalities like Chicago and Houston, and advocacy campaigns by groups including National Low Income Housing Coalition and Coalition for the Homeless (New York City). Counts inform program evaluation for initiatives modeled on Housing First and guide grant decisions by philanthropies such as MacArthur Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They also shape litigation and legislative efforts tied to rulings in courts like the United States Supreme Court and policy reforms at state legislatures including in California and Washington (state).
Critics from academic institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and advocacy groups including National Alliance to End Homelessness have argued that methodological constraints produce politicized metrics used by elected officials in cities like San Diego and counties such as Los Angeles County to claim progress. Debates involve tensions between counts and alternate estimation methods promoted by researchers at Columbia University and Yale University, concerns about volunteer safety echoed by Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and disputes over resource prioritization highlighted by organizations like Housing Works.
International adaptations in countries including Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany reflect different legal definitions and administrative capacities, with comparisons undertaken by entities such as United Nations Human Settlements Programme and research centers like European Observatory on Homelessness. Jurisdictional practice varies from coordinated national exercises in Canada involving provincial governments to municipal-led efforts in London and regional pilots in Sydney, often influenced by national policies such as those enacted in United Kingdom and Australian Government homelessness strategies.
Category:Homelessness