Regional Point in Time Trend Analysis (FREE)
The Point in Time Homeless Trends Dashboard is a free resource available to communities to better understand the scope of homelessness within the community. These Tableau-based dashboards are built off of Housing Inventory Chart (HIC), Point in Time (PIT), HUD funding awards, and census information data that we have taken the time to compile together. To use these dashboards, simply click on your state, choose your CoC from the dropdown below the map, and then peruse through the tabs on top to see what is happening with homelessness in your region.  

Simtech Resources to Support the Point-in-Time Count
The night of the point-in-time count can be a major undertaking, often involving dozens (or even hundreds) of volunteers to ensure that the entire homeless population is "counted" - and each person just once! Count administrators need to be sure that the right questions are being asked; that people are receiving services; and if using mobile technology, they also need to be sure that volunteers have what they need to participate. 

The resources below are geared to assist Count Administrators to prepare for the actual event:

Survey Resources

  • The Point in Time Homeless Survey: This version of the survey is available in PDF or Word format and can be used for planning, or to be printed and used as a paper backup. Available in Spanish PDF or Word as well.

  • Tips for Count Administrators: This guide provides an overview of key items to remember as you plan for, conduct, and wrap up, the count!

  • The Paper Intake Form is available for any tech holdouts or as a backup. Volunteers can use this to collect survey information for multiple people on one page and can then re-key the data later in the Counting Us app or at https://counting.us/.

 

Resources for Getting Started

  • The Cheat Sheet: This document provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct surveys with the help of the Counting Us mobile app.  This training video also walks users through how to get started.
     
  • Getting Started Flyer - Step-by-Step Instructions: This one-pager, available in PDF and Word, provides visual guidance on downloading the app, registering an account, and entering the Setup Key. 

    These instructions can be sent out to registered volunteers, handed out during training sessions, and printed out in an enlarged format, and displayed at deployment sites. We highly recommend having volunteers follow these instructions and try using the Counting Us app ahead of the actual count. This is the best way to learn it, and with activities in "Test" mode, the training surveys will be excluded from the final report. This also allows administrators to see which volunteers have prepared! 

There are three versions of the "Getting Started" flyers available below:

  • Getting Started Flyer for Regions using the Volunteer Registration Portal only. PDF | Word
     
  • Getting Started Flyer for Regions using the Volunteer Registration Portal along with Region and Count Team Management.   PDF | Word
     
  • Getting Started Flyer for Regions that are NOT using the Volunteer Registration Portal or Region and Count Team Management.  PDF | Word

  • Getting Started for Sheltered Providers: a quick guide for sheltered providers in your CoC on how to register for an account, and get started counting. This training video walks sheltered providers through the steps!
     

Additional Tools & Resources

  • The Point in Time Results File Generation Tool was created to assist regions with compiling count information from multiple sources, as explained in detail here, by providing an alternate means to get PIT results into the Point in Time Results File Format.  To use this tool, simply enter the results from your Point in Time report into this tool. Once done, click "Export Results" and this will generate a file that is in the proper format. 

    This tool can also be used as a means of providing updated information to Simtech, ahead of HUD's public release of the PIT results for all regions across the US, in order to have your region's PIT trends updated within the National PIT Trend Dashboard. If you are done with your count and would like to update your PIT trends with your final count figures, please submit a ticket to the helpdesk and include either the results file or the tool itself along with your request to have your region's trend information updated. 

  • Marketing Pack to Support Volunteer Recruitment for the PIT Count: This pack provides your CoC with resources for spreading the word about your volunteer recruitment drive on social media. By linking your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter posts to your Volunteer Registration Portal, volunteers can help you spread the word about your count!