It’s that time again! The 2021 Point in Time Count is upon us. Washington State Commerce has designated the night of January 28, 2021 as our official count date. While the unsheltered count is not required in our Continuum of Care this year, we intend to proceed with counting the unsheltered homeless members of our community.
Why?
Because the sheltered PIT Count is an avenue for us to tell Commerce about the people we are already serving. The unsheltered PIT Count lets us tell Commerce about the people who are not being served. Data from the Point in Time Count, while widely recognized as an undercount, helps our government develop a picture of the state of homelessness in our community. This count tells state and federal funders which communities have the most need and helps them prioritize their funding to assist those communities who demonstrate the greatest need.
The PIT Count is also a valuable opportunity to go out into the community and connect unsheltered homeless people with resources they may not be aware of. This year, we plan on holding food outreach events in Port Angeles, Sequim, and Forks, with appropriate measures in place to ensure the health and safety of clients and volunteers alike. We will be serving hot food to the community both to encourage people to come and get counted and to stave off the winter chill.
Right now, we are waiting on word from Commerce about 2021 PIT Count guidelines and digital training opportunities. If you are interested in being part of this year’s count, please reach out to us at serenity@serenityhouseclallam.org.