Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in the North County PIT Count on Tuesday, January 23rd!
The Annual Point in Time (PIT) Count is held every January to capture a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in their respective counties. It requires volunteers to go out and canvass their communities and survey people who are unhoused and experiencing homelessness in order to collect data. The surveys collect the first two letters of their first name and last name, birthdates, current experiences, and length of time experiencing homelessness. This helps to prevent duplication count from other volunteers. This data collected is then shared back to the county, state, and federal levels to continue making plans to address the needs and offer resources to reduce, end, and prevent homelessness.
Housing Hope PIT Count Volunteers, January 23rd 2024. Left to right: Jonnathan Yepez Carino, Conner Perryman, Kelli Ames Smith, Marsha Gallion
The count is conducted in 5 different districts within Snohomish County and this year Housing Hope was the lead for the north end, which included cities like Marysville, Stanwood, and Smokey Point. Housing Hope had 12 volunteers who took shifts throughout the day to help capture surveys and information.
Volunteers are trained at their staging site and released to canvass the streets and survey. They carry warming kits, water, and snacks to share with people experiencing homelessness, regardless if they complete a survey or not. Housing Hope was happy to have a large number of surveys returned this year due to the nice weather that day.
PIT Count results have many factors involved that affect the surveys returned including the number of volunteers, weather, and participation. Therefore, the results indicate overall trends rather than a definitive number of people experiencing homelessness.
For more information, visit snohomishcountywa.gov/2857/Point-In-Time