What is the Point-in-Time (PIT) count?
Author: Betty | Date Created: December 4, 2025 | Date Updated: [Date Last Updated]
What this is
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a national effort in the U.S. to measure homelessness on a single night.
What you need to know
The Point-in-Time Count is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness—both sheltered (in shelters, transitional housing) and unsheltered (living outdoors, in cars, tents, encampments, etc.). It typically takes place every January and is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Details About the PIT
What Does the PIT Count Do?
- Counts the number of people experiencing homelessness on one specific night
- Collects demographic details (age, veteran status, chronic homelessness, family status, etc.)
- Identifies trends over time
- Helps direct funding and resources
- Supports local planning, advocacy, and program evaluation
Who Is Involved in the PIT Count?
Minnesota partners with many groups to ensure the PIT follows HUD rules and produces one statewide total.
- Street outreach workers
- Agency staff
- Volunteers
- Programs using HMIS (Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, Safe Havens)
- Non-HMIS programs, such as domestic violence shelters
Most data comes from Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), with additional data submitted by providers who do not use HMIS.
How Do We Get the Numbers?
1. Sheltered Count
- Includes people staying in Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, and Safe Havens on PIT night
- Data comes from HMIS programs and non-HMIS providers
2. Unsheltered & Doubled-Up Count
- Includes people staying outdoors, in places not meant for living, or temporarily with friends or family
- Gathered through in-person surveys by outreach teams, volunteers, school staff, and community partners
How the PIT Count Is Done
- For HMIS programs, PIT night is a normal night; all data entered that night automatically counts
- Non-HMIS programs provide survey data or summary totals, coordinated by each Continuum of Care (CoC)
- Unsheltered and doubled-up data is collected through face-to-face surveys
After PIT Night
- Agencies complete data entry
- ICA, CoC Coordinators, and PIT leads review and clean the data
- They may contact agencies to clarify or correct information
- Careful data collection and entry ensures a reliable statewide PIT Count