PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia will join cities around the U.S. to complete a census of people experiencing homelessness. Called the Point In Time Count, over 250 volunteers in Philadelphia will be joined by White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough to document persons experiencing homelessness on the night of January 27. The January Point in Time Count is coordinated by the Office of Supportive Housing in collaboration with U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the City’s Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities. Results of the count inform local and federal policy, allocate resources and help to assist in determining how to end homelessness.
The PIT Count collects information about adults, families and young people staying in emergency and transitional housing, temporary drop-in centers, and on the street. Project HOME supports Philadelphia’s count of unsheltered people in collaboration with OSH. This year’s count will be on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. As in previous years, there is a separate effort to count unsheltered people under the age of 24. Events will be coordinated by Valley Youth House and will occur at youth service provider sites on January 27, 2016.
On the night of January 27, 2016 the unsheltered count is performed by small teams of trained volunteers who canvass areas in every zip code throughout the City. Pre-registered volunteers will meet at Rodeph Shalom at 615 N. Broad Street on the night of the count to receive team and zone assignments. All volunteers will arrive by 10 pm and leave by midnight to perform the count. All volunteers will finish canvassing by 3:00 am. Using a short survey, canvassers will speak to any willing participant that is staying on the streets to gather information about each individual and their housing status.
This year’s PIT will span from South Philadelphia to the Northeast, covering a broader geography of the City than any previous counts. Marie Nahikian, Director of Philadelphia Office of Supportive Housing, said “Persons who are homeless are in every zip code, every neighborhood in Philadelphia. This count will hopefully provide better data to inform our City on how to target resources. A successful count is dependent on our volunteers.”
“With Philadelphia’s recent success in effectively ending veteran homelessness, the city is gaining momentum in its work to eliminate homelessness across all populations,” said Jane C.W. Vincent, Regional Administrator of HUD’s Mid-Atlantic region. “Being able to accurately measure the problem through this annual count makes a real difference in our collaborative efforts to understand the scope of homelessness in our neighborhoods and to track our progress in reducing it.”
Sister Mary Scullion, Project Home Director, added “Especially now, with unemployment and poverty high in Philadelphia, shelters and food pantries struggling to meet increased demand, we use this tool to help advocate for resources that are strategic investments. Using the information collected through this count, Philadelphians can recommit ourselves to ending homelessness.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will join the Point in Time Count on January 27. “I am so grateful to the hundreds of Philadelphia volunteers who are participating in this important census. Philadelphians often become homeless through a single event, such as cuts in job hours – others face long-term physical and mental health issues. We need the best information possible on our homeless neighbors, so we can work with our government and non-profit partners to provide them with the best services possible.”