The 2020 Point in Time Count

Each year, Philadelphia performs a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in January of all individuals living on the streets, unsheltered, or in temporary shelter housing. The PIT and Youth Count count engages concerned citizens and Philadelphia agencies working to eradicate homelessness to help estimate the size of the population in need of housing and critical life supports. 

Why We Count:

• To better understand homelessness in our community in order for individuals to receive the services they need to get help and into permanent housing.
• To determine the congressional homeless funding the County receives.
• To comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements for Continuums of Care.

The Point in Time Count in Philadelphia is partially funded and supported by the City of Philadelphia, Office of Homeless Services & the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

The PIT count will take place this year on January 22nd, 2020 from 10:30 PM until 4:00 AM the next morning. Teams of volunteers led by experienced Outreach workers will walk the City of Philadelphia to collect the total number and characteristics of all unsheltered people.  Given that homelessness can look much different for a young person than an adult, the Youth Count was created to help accurately capture the population of youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Philadelphia.

The PIT and Youth Counts are dependent on the activism and efforts of volunteers so please consider joining us!

How to Volunteer:

The PIT Count is recruiting volunteers for Jan. 22rd – 23rd (10:30pm – 4am) for a number of roles including Team Leaders, Team Members, Event Staff and Peers. If you would like any additional information, please reach out to Madelaine Guss at [email protected].