2020 (Sheltered Count Year)

The Sheltered Count Report will be released when completed.

2019 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

• 2019 Full PIT Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Report
• 2019 Youth PIT Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Report - This report is focused on youth experiencing homelessness and. It was completed by the Office of Homeless Youth Services (OHYS) and the Advisory Council for Homeless Youth (ACHY) in Partnership with the BoS CoC, Metro Denver CoC, and Pikes Peak CoC. 

2018 (Sheltered Count Year)

• 2018 Full PIT Sheltered Count Report

2017 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

• 2017 Full PIT Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Report

2016 (Sheltered Count Year)

• 2016 Full PIT Sheltered Count Report

BoS Point-in-Time Count (PIT) Information:

The Point-In-Time (PIT) Sheltered and Unsheltered counts are a critical source of data on the number and characteristics of people who are homeless in the United States. The data is used to measure homelessness on a local and national level and are published annually on HUD’s HUD Exchange website, which can be viewed by CoCs and the general public.

The BoS CoC conducts a yearly Point-in-Time (PIT) Sheltered Count and a Biennial PIT Sheltered & Unsheltered Count. Individual regions may choose to conduct yearly unsheltered counts and provide their own reports for such counts.

PIT count data is also provided annually to Congress as part of the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) which is transitioning to the Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA). The AHAR (and soon LSA) are used by Congress, HUD, other federal departments, and the general public to understand the nature and extent of homelessness.

Please click the expandable boxes below for more information on the 2020 count!

Sheltered Count Process

During the Sheltered Count, the Balance of State PIT Coordinators, Agencies, and Volunteers will Survey: “An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangement (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals).”

Surveys can be completed in person or via the agencies Homeless Management Information System as long as the agency collects the HUD required data on the night of the count. 

During a Sheltered Count the Balance of State agencies will also Count the number of individuals who live in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing (RRH). This count is reported to HUD, but is not used in either HUD or BoS CoC reports.

Unsheltered Count Process

During the Unsheltered Count, Balance of State PIT Coordinators, Agencies, and Volunteers Survey individuals and families experiencing homelessness per HUD's Homeless Definition Final Rule: “An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground.” 

More information on the Point-in-Time Count can be obtained via the HUD PIT Methodology Guide. Click to expand the "PIT Training Content,  Materials,  and  FAQ's" below to access BoS Point-in-Time Materials once they're available for the BoS 2020 Sheltered Count.

Click here if you'd like to email the CoC Coordinator for more information about the 2020 count, or to join the BoS Point-in-Time Work Group that is helping to plan the counts!

The Point-in-Time Work Group has worked in consultation with our consultant to develop the following Training Content,  Materials,  and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for the Balance of State Point-in-Time 2020 Sheltered Count. Please utilize these tools for your region and work with your regional coordinator to help Colorado better understand how homelessness is impacting our family, neighbors, and friends! Questions about who your regional coordinator is or want to be involved in the PIT Count? Please Click Here to be directed to the appropriate person.

HUD PIT Count Documents

• PIT Count Methodology Guide
• 2019 & 2020 HIC and PIT Data Collection for CoC and ESG Programs - Notice CPD-18-08
• PIT and HIC Reporting Resources - Including Some Advertising Materials!

2020 Training Content

Survey Training Video for Sheltered Count

Surveyor Youtube Training for the 2020 Point-in-Time Count Surveys and Optional OHYS Youth Supplemental Survey - Click the training if you're a surveyor, volunteer, or interested in learning more about how to administer the 2020 Point-in-Time Survey. 54+ minutes long

Also covered is the optional Youth Supplemental Survey from the Office of Homeless Youth Services. The BoS CoC partners with OHYS and the Rural Collaborative for Homeless Youth each year to assist with a youth unsheltered count! If you're interested in learning more about the youth count, contact: Zac Schaffner and/or Kippi Clausen

• BoS CoC PIT 2020 Surveyor Training PPTX.pptx - PowerPoint of this Surveyor Training – With Notes!
• BoS CoC PIT 2020 Surveyor Training PDF.pdf – PDF of this Surveyor Training – With Notes!

Support Documentation for the 2020 PIT Sheltered Count (Including 2020 Sheltered Count Survey!)

• Instructions & Script for the 2020 PIT Surveys.pdf - The Instructions and Script for Surveyors to utilize during the count.
• Instructions & Script for the 2020 PIT Surveys.docx - A word version of the above pdf in case a region wants to modify this document.
• 2020 PIT Sheltered Survey Form - CO BoS CoC.pdf - The 2020 PIT Sheltered Count Survey Form, which should NOT be altered in any way. It has fields that can be added electronically and then printed for surveyors to utilize the night of the count. *Link changes from presentation. Updated in files linked below, but not in recorded training.
• Cover Sheet for Surveys - The cover sheet programs and coordinators should use to organize surveys BY PROGRAM. 

• PIT - SFY20 - Youth Supplemental Survey Questions.pdf - Youth Supplemental Survey for those communities participating in the Youth Supplemental Survey and/or Youth Unsheltered Count.

Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Count Fact Sheet and Forms

• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) and Permanent Supportive Housing Fact Sheet - A few items regarding the RRH and PSH Count forms that provide some additional clarification. This outlines differences from the BoS Sheltered Count Survey that happens in Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing Programs.
• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) Count Form - The form to record the count and breakdown of individuals, households, and units in the RRH program on the night of the count.
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Count Form - The form to record the count and units of individuals and households in the PSH program on the night of the count. 

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Guidance

2020 is the first year you can utilize HMIS to automatically gather PIT Survey information for Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Rapid Re-Housing!

If your program enters in to HMIS, the HMIS Lead Team can pull the information automatically! 

Please note, for Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing there is one extra step that must be completed first!

• Click here for HMIS Data Entry Guidance for Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing Programs

Unsheltered Count Question (paraphrased): "Is there an approved HUD methodology for safely conducting a visual count of populations for places not meant for human habitation, like abandoned buildings, sheds, cars, etc? Can we use visuals to complete most of a survey without actually speaking to the person/family if the volunteer feels this would be a safer method the night of the count?"

Answer:

From the HUD Methodology Guide: When conducting a street count, there are situations in which it might not be possible for enumerators to interview a person in an unsheltered location. It might not be safe to approach someone in an abandoned building or someone who is sleeping. In these instances, it might be necessary to count a person and determine some of his or her characteristics based on observations. An observation tool may be used in these instances to record some characteristics that can be observed by the enumerator. For example, it may be possible to determine a person’s gender, but not his or her veteran status. Sometimes even gender is difficult to record, if for instance a sleeping person is wrapped in blankets or inside a cardboard box. When recording observations, it is important to record as much information as practicable about the physical location where the person is observed (e.g., the street name, any landmarks), as well as the person’s physical description (e.g., clothes, personal belongings) to assist with deduplication."

From CCH: The best way to participate in the Point-in-Time Count is for someone to be surveyed directly. Always survey someone directly if possible. 

When considering places not meant for human habitation, safety, volunteer comfort, etc. a region should always air on the side of safety and caution. Volunteers should be instructed to trust their instincts, stay "buddied-up" with other volunteers, and not enter structures or areas that seem unsafe even if it means not surveying someone who is experiencing homelessness. 

If a volunteer is able to conduct a visual count and feels it is the best option not to disturb the individual or family, they should have visual of the individuals or families staying in the place not meant for human habitation and be able to provide an "accurate" description of the person or families age and as much information on the survey as possible. 

We recommend writing "OBS" in the space for both the first and last name to identify the survey as an observation, along with an identifier to separate the observation surveys. For example: "OBS1", "OBS2", etc.

Using observation data should be a last resort because it may lead to less accurate data. Information like a person's veteran status or disability, and even their gender/race can not always be gleaned from observation. Additionally, using observation data can increase the probability of a duplication in the count if the person or family complete a survey later that night or following and do not realize they've already been counted.

Question: 

Additional Questions? Email Shawn here: shayes@coloradocoalition.org

The BoS Housing Inventory Count (HIC)

The HIC is an inventory of projects within your CoC that provide beds and units dedicated to serving persons who are homeless. It is intended to provide HUD and CoCs with information about the shelter and housing capacity of homeless crisis response systems. It should reflect the number of beds and units available on the night designated for the count that are dedicated to serve persons who are homeless (and, for permanent housing projects, persons who were homeless at entry), per the HUD homeless definition. 

You may access past years HIC reports via the Hudexchange website by clicking HERE, searching for the Colorado Balance of State CoC report along with the year of interest. 

Important: The Housing Inventory Count includes all shelters and housing programs, not just those that receive HUD funding. By being included in the count and also participating in the Point-in-Time Count, you can help bring additional resources to your community. If you have a shelter or housing program that you would like to be included in the Balance of State's Housing Inventory Count, please contact us HERE.