One of the responsibilities of the CoC is to conduct the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC). These important data collections help us to understand the current supply of units and utilization of shelters and transitional housing projects in the community at a given point in time. The information is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and helps the federal government track nationwide progress on goals to end homelessness. National PIT data are reported to Congress in the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR).
The PIT and HIC occur each year during the last 10 days of January. The PIT includes a count of unsheltered individuals and a count of sheltered and transitionally housed families and individuals, and the HIC is a count of occupied and vacant shelter and transitional units. Municipal and program staff complete the count of sheltered persons and units for the sheltered portion of the PIT and the HIC. During the same night, staff from the Department of Human Service Programs, in partnership with the Cambridge Police Department, Professional Ambulance, and CASPAR’s First Step Street Outreach project, coordinate teams of volunteers who conduct the unsheltered count. Information about volunteer opportunities for the PIT and HIC are posted on the website in the months leading up to the count.
You can access the AHAR reports here.
You can read more detail about recent Cambridge PIT counts here:
You can read more detail about recent Cambridge HIC counts here: