Point-In-Time Count 2023

Summit County Count of Homeless Citizens by Continuum of Care Kicks Off in January  

A collaboration of agencies working together for the homeless.

AKRON, Ohio – January 6, 2023 – Summit County Continuum of Care, a collaboration of local agencies working together for the homeless population, is launching its annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count on Tuesday, January 24^th, 2023. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all Continuums of Care to conduct a nationwide survey to count all homeless individuals and families in a single night. This count helps us understand trends around homeless and whether homelessness is declining or increasing in our community. Additionally, each Continuum of Care provides data to federal, state, and local funders to assist them in determining whether to maintain or to increase funding to combat homelessness in their communities.

When conducting the PIT count, needed items such as as non-perishable foods, hats and gloves, emergency blankets, and hygiene products are gathered and packaged by the SCCoC and volunteers, then distributed to the homeless community.

The SCCoC will also lead the Youth PIT count; the youth count lasts from 1/23/2023-1/27/2023. Due to the transient nature of youths experiencing housing instability, the Youth PIT count lasts for the entire week so that teams are given ample opportunity to locate and engage youth.  Outreach teams, led by the Youth Advisory Board, will target multiple youth-specific sites throughout Summit County.

“This is a crucial opportunity to meet the homeless community where they are…to collect vital information to secure ongoing funding for this often-overlooked population.” said Mar-quetta Boddie, Executive Director of the Summit County Continuum of Care. “This data collected is a huge piece to the puzzle that is needed to eliminate homelessness in our community.”