While many of us are aware that each year cities conduct a Point-In-Time count, how many of us truly understand what it entails? Housing Committee member Doug Parrish participated in this year’s count. Here are his observations.
Annual Unhoused Count
by Douglas Parrish, Housing Committee Liaison to the Housing Justice Coalition
Each January, Benton County coordinates the Point-In-Time (PIT) counting of those living out in the elements, in vehicles, or in congregate and micro shelters. These totals factor into the funding formulas used by the state to allocate dollars. This year, I worked with the Housing Justice Coalition and council members to get City Council approval to pause the clearing of unhoused encampments to make it easier to reach people during the PIT count.
Last January, the official count was 550 individuals. However, service providers reported seeing numbers closer to 1,000. To better understand whether people were being missed, I volunteered to assist with this year’s count. Based on that experience, I can report that individuals are indeed being undercounted.
More volunteers are needed to adequately staff counting sites and to expand coverage across more days and later hours. There are also process improvements the County and service providers can implement to more accurately capture the true scope of those who are unhoused in our community.
In the months ahead, I will be working with County staff and community partners to evaluate and strengthen the process.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer to help with next year’s PIT count, please contact Doug Parrish at [email protected].