MENU
Get updates on our initiatives and see how you can help!

Image of multiple hands holding a home.
Image courtesy of Posada Pueblo, www.posadapueblo.org.

Point-in-Time (PIT) Count

The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness that HUD requires each Continuum of Care (CoC) nationwide to conduct on one night in the last 10 days of January each year. The Colorado Balance of State Continuum of Care conducts a sheltered count every year and both a sheltered and unsheltered count every odd year; in accordance with HUD's PIT Count Methodology Guide. 

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count and Housing Inventory Count for the Balance of State Continuum of Care is currently being planned. Please return the second week of November for further information on next steps!

If you're in any of the counties outlined in non-gray colors below, you're in a BoS CoC County! Please contact Shawn Hayes if you're interested in participating in the 2023 Point-in-Time Count.

Map of Colorado, the Balance of State Continuum of Care counties highlighted in different colors. 10 geographic regions.
Colorado's Balance of State Continuum of Care separated into Regions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Housing Inventory Count (HIC)

The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is a inventory of provider programs within a Continuum of Care that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness (and, for permanent housing projects, where homeless at entry, per the HUD homeless definition), categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re-housing; Safe Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.

For more information on the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and to add your shelter and/or housing project (even if you receive no government/other funding), scroll to and expand the "Housing Inventory Count (HIC)" tab below. 

*Click the + to the left of the text below in order to expand! (Please note, the "PIT Count Training Content, Survey Forms, and Support Documents" dropdown is now combined in to one.)

CONTACT

BoSCoC@coloradocoalition.org

 

Return to the Main CO BoS CoC Page

Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Counts

Image of multiple hands holding a home.
Image courtesy of Posada Pueblo, www.posadapueblo.org.

Point-in-Time (PIT) Count

The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness that HUD requires each Continuum of Care (CoC) nationwide to conduct on one night in the last 10 days of January each year. The Colorado Balance of State Continuum of Care conducts a sheltered count every year and both a sheltered and unsheltered count every odd year; in accordance with HUD's PIT Count Methodology Guide. 

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count and Housing Inventory Count for the Balance of State Continuum of Care is currently being planned. Please return the second week of November for further information on next steps!

If you're in any of the counties outlined in non-gray colors below, you're in a BoS CoC County! Please contact Shawn Hayes if you're interested in participating in the 2023 Point-in-Time Count.

Map of Colorado, the Balance of State Continuum of Care counties highlighted in different colors. 10 geographic regions.
Colorado's Balance of State Continuum of Care separated into Regions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Housing Inventory Count (HIC)

The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is a inventory of provider programs within a Continuum of Care that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness (and, for permanent housing projects, where homeless at entry, per the HUD homeless definition), categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re-housing; Safe Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.

For more information on the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and to add your shelter and/or housing project (even if you receive no government/other funding), scroll to and expand the "Housing Inventory Count (HIC)" tab below. 

*Click the + to the left of the text below in order to expand! (Please note, the "PIT Count Training Content, Survey Forms, and Support Documents" dropdown is now combined in to one.)

Point-in-Time (PIT) Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Process

More information on the Point-in-Time Count can be obtained via the HUD PIT Methodology Guide. Definitions of the types of Point-in-Time Counts are included below. 

 

Sheltered Count Process

During the Sheltered Count, the Balance of State PIT Coordinators, Agencies, and Volunteers 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).”

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

 

Unsheltered Count Process and Definition

During an Unsheltered Count year, 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."

  • HUD would generally consider individuals and families sleeping in a garage, shed, or other location outside of a housing structure, but on the property of a housing structure as “unsheltered” homeless for purposes of the PIT count. 
    • HUD would not consider any individual or family sleeping inside of a housing structure as unsheltered homeless, even if the room inside of that housing structure is not typically used for sleeping (e.g., a kitchen or bathroom). 
    • HUD would still consider persons sleeping in the hallway of an apartment or hotel (i.e., outside of an apartment unit or hotel room) as unsheltered.

 

PIT/HIC Consultant

The Colorado Balance of State Continuum of Care contracts with the OMNI Institute in Denver, CO to provide Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count consulting services, data de-duplication and analysis, and the PIT Count Reports.

Click here if you'd like to email the CoC Coordinator for more information about the 2023 count, or to join the BoS Point-in-Time Work Group that is helping to plan th count!

    2023 PIT Count Surveyor Training Content, Forms, and Information

    See the Point-in-Time Fact Sheet for an overview of the PIT Count. 

     

    PIT Regional Coordinators

    Please see the list of Point-in-Time Coordinators for your geographic region here. Contact them if you are interested in participating in the count or if you are looking for direction. If you would like to Coordinate or are missing from the list, contact me! Shawn Hayes - shayes@coloradocoalition.org 

    Coordinators will likely have region-specific forms and information that might look different from some of the forms below. The training offered here covers the BoS Point-in-Time Surveys, which will not be altered. Some of the support documentation may be altered to fit with regional needs.

    Training Content

    Please see the following Google Drive Folder for all of the files provided in the links below if you have trouble downloading them or would live to download them all at once.

    Support Documents for both the Unsheltered and Sheltered PIT Counts

     

    Sheltered Count

    Survey Forms

    • 2023 PIT Sheltered Count Form - CO BoS CoC (PDF) - Do not Modify! - Sheltered Point-in-Time Survey for people experiencing Sheltered Homelessness in Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing programs only.
    • 2023 - Youth Supplemental Survey (YSS) Questions - Updated 1-5-2023 (PDF) - Youth Supplemental Survey to go along with the above "2023 PIT Sheltered Form..." for youth ages 11-24.
    • PSH Editable Survey Form (Count of Individuals in Households Only) 2023 (PDF) - Only a count is required, no survey is needed. Use this form.
    • RRH Editable Survey Form (Count of Individuals in Households Only) 2023 (PDF) - Only a count and breakdown of family type is required, no survey is needed. Use this form.
    • Electronic Survey (Survey123) Instructions - Updated 1-24-2023 - The previous document QR codes will not work. Detailed instructions on Accessing the Point-in-Time Electronic Surveys with clickable links. In order to access surveys offline (to upload automatically when reconnected to the internet), you must download the app!

     

    Unsheltered Count

    Survey Forms

    • 2023 PIT Unsheltered Form - CO BoS CoC (PDF) - Unsheltered Point-in-Time Survey for people experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness.
    • 2023 - Youth Supplemental Survey (YSS) Questions - Updated 1-5-2023 (PDF) - Youth Supplemental Survey to go along with the above "2023 PIT Unsheltered Form..." for youth ages 11-24.
    • Electronic Survey (Survey123) Instructions - Updated 1-24-2023 - The previous document QR codes will not work. Detailed instructions on Accessing the Point-in-Time Electronic Surveys with clickable links. In order to access surveys offline (to upload automatically when reconnected to the internet), you must download the app!

     

    For additional information about the Youth Unsheltered Count and Youth Supplemental Survey, contact Brittany Wade (brittany.wade@state.co.us) and Kippy Clausen (kippi@unfoldingdirections.com). 

    HUD Assistance Documents

    HUD'S 2004 "Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People" - An in-depth guide to counting unsheltered homelessness experiences, if there are additional questions. HUD's 2013 "Guide to Counting Sheltered Homeless People" - An in-depth guide to counting sheltered homelessness experiences, if there are additional questions.

      2023 PIT Count Coordinator Training Content, Forms, and Information

      If you'd like to be involved in planning the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) and/or Housing Inventory Count (HIC), please contact Shawn Hayes, shayes@coloradocoalition.org.

      Training Content

       

      Support Documents for both the Unsheltered and Sheltered PIT Counts

      • PIT Count Fact Sheet for Coordinators (PDF) - Covers what a PIT Count is, Why we count, date, how we conduct them, responsibilities of coordinators, survey options, collection timelines, and contact information for submission of surveys.
      • Instructions & Script for the 2023 PIT Unsheltered & Sheltered Surveys (Word- direct download) - Outlines instructions and a script regions can tailor to their areas, which assists in helping surveyors understand basic safety and privacy considerations as well as go over the surveys with individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

      HUD Assistance Documents

      Sheltered Count

      Survey Forms

       

       

      Unsheltered Count

      Survey Forms

       

       

       

      For additional information about the Youth Unsheltered Count and Youth Supplemental Survey, contact Brittany Wade (brittany.wade@state.co.us) and Kippy Clausen (kippi@unfoldingdirections.com). 

      Point-in-Time Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
      1. Question: Are there unique identifiers used in the Sheltered and Unsheltered Point-in-Time Surveys to help distinguish between people experiencing homelessness?
        • Answer: We use unique identifiers that do not identify the person or family members being surveyed, these include things like the first three letters of the first name and the first three letters of the last, age range, identified gender, and other demographic information that is gathered mainly to deduplicate surveys. This will be gone over in depth in the January Surveyor trainings.
      2. Question: Do you have any tips for being successful in gathering youth surveys? It's been difficult to gather youth surveys in the past for our region.
        • Answer: Kippi Clausen with the Rural Collaborative for Homeless Youth is utilizing Street Outreach Grants, YHDP and other funds to provide a “get out the count” push and will be sending out training information and ideas to bring in youth to help promote counts across the Balance of State. Also, she recommends accessing Youth Advisory/Action Boards in your area. Contact her for more information: Kippi Clausen - Unfolding Directions
      3. Questions: Unsheltered Observational 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 Point-in-Time 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.
      4. Question: Motel/Hotel Voucher Question: Do you survey someone who is partially paying for a motel/hotel when a charitable organization and/or government entity is paying for some of their stay? 
        • Answer: We have not encountered this. If this happens, best to complete a survey and contact the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for further direction.
      5. Question: Motel/Hotel paid for by individual/family. Does this count as Emergency Voucher?
        • Answer: HUD does not consider this "Emergency Shelter" or homelessness unfortunately, so we would not complete a voucher if someone is paying for a hotel or motel by themselves. It does not matter how they obtained the funding to pay for it unless it was obtained by a charitable organization and/or government entity as defined by HUD.

       

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

      Housing Inventory Count (HIC)

      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.

      Point-in-Time Count Reports (2016 to Present)

      2023 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

      • Forthcoming

      2022 (Sheltered Count Year)

      2021 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

      2020 (Sheltered Count Year)

      • 2020 Point-in-Time Sheltered Count Report - Please note that with Larimer and Weld Counties forming their own CoC in 2020, the numbers for the BoS CoC's PIT Count will be reduced as compared to previous years.

      2019 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

      2018 (Sheltered Count Year)

      2017 (Sheltered and Unsheltered Count Year)

      2016 (Sheltered Count Year)

      Point-in-Time Counts 2005 - 2015

      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!

      Return to the Main CO BoS CoC Page