Austin volunteers will participate in a point-in-time count to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city.
Volunteers from around Austin will conduct a census of the city's most vulnerable residents on a single night in late January. This biennial point-in-time count is overseen by Austin ’s Ending Community Homeless Coalition, which hopes to recruit some 1,200 volunteers to canvas areas of the city and Travis County.
The count is crucial for obtaining a snapshot of homelessness on a given night, providing vital data on the number of individuals in emergency shelters, transitional housing or living unsheltered. The local survey is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which uses the data collected to gauge the extent of homelessness in communities throughout the country. The data also impacts the funding that local, state and federal agencies allocate for homeless services. Matthew Mollica, the executive director of ECHO, told KUT that the point-in-time count has some limitations; it is assumed to be an undercount, as it’s difficult to track down every person who is unsheltered on a given night. Some folks may be sleeping, at work or staying in encampments that are hard to find. ECHO also maintains a separate running estimate of the homeless population that is based on incoming requests for housing and assistance, and that estimate tends to be higher. But Mollica said the PIT count offers important insight into where unsheltered people are staying. In 2023, for instance, the survey showed that folks had moved out of the downtown area after the city reinstated bans on public camping and sleeping outside
Homelessness Austin Point-In-Time Count Volunteers Housing
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