2026 Point in Time (PIT) Count Resources for Surveyors
Alameda County
Date of the Count: January 22, 2026
Thank you for registering as a Surveyor for the 2026 Point in Time Count in Alameda County!
Not yet registered? Sign up here to participate in collecting survey data on the day of the Count.
Helpful information and next steps for you are listed below:
Next Steps:
1. Share what you know: Identify Known Locations before the Count
Identifying known locations before the count helps us ensure we have sufficient coverage and sufficient resources. Please follow the instructions outlined in this PDF to get started.
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Counting Us can be downloaded via Google Play Store or Apple App Store: |
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Google Play: https://bit.ly/Counting_Us_Google |
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Click here for a brief video explaining how to use the app to tell us about Known Locations.
2. Surveyor Training – What You Need to Know Before we Count
Surveyors will be asked to go into the field and talk with members of our community experiencing homelessness. Alameda County is offering countywide training resources, to help you better prepare for the Count event.
During the trainings, we will provide details of what to expect during the count, including where you will need to go and how to use the Counting Us app to survey people or conduct an observation tally for people you cannot engage who you believe are experiencing homelessness.
You have two options for training, please attend only one:
- Wednesday January 14th from 8:30-9:30 AM PST. Recording Available Now!
- Tuesday January 20th from 12:30-1:30 PM PST. Recording Available Now!
- Tuesday January 20th from 6:00-7:00 PM PST.
Virtual Training Videos
Separate from the trainings listed above, a step-by-step training video series is also available. Click here to access the videos and see how to use the different parts of Counting Us.
What is the Point in Time (PIT) Count?
Click here to watch a brief video describing the Point In Time Count.
The PIT Count is a US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandated census count of people experiencing homelessness in a community on a particular date. The count is conducted during the last ten days of January. Every community in the country conducts an annual PIT Count for people in shelters. Communities also count people experiencing unsheltered homelessness every other year.
The count focuses on people who, on the night of the count, are:
- Sheltered - folks who are in emergency shelters or transitional housing.
- Emergency shelters: A facility with overnight sleeping accommodations, the primary purpose of which is to provide a temporary shelter for people experiencing homeless in general or for specific populations of people who are homeless, and which does not require occupants to sign leases or occupancy agreements
- Transitional housing: An interim housing project or program that is designed to provide housing and appropriate supportive services to homeless persons to facilitate movement to independent living. The housing is time-limited, typically between six and 24 months.
- *Definitions provided by Alameda County Housing and Homelessness
- Unsheltered - people staying outdoors or in places not meant for habitation such as vehicles, streets, parks, or abandoned buildings.
Why conduct the PIT Count?
The PIT Count is an important element to end homelessness. The Count helps raise awareness of the challenges people experiencing homelessness face. It’s a chance for us to hear personal experiences and make connections to support the individuals in our community. The PIT Count also provides a national comparison of people experiencing homelessness to help identify trends over time and inform investments, programs, and policies to address homelessness.
What is your role as a Surveyor?
Click here to watch a video describing your role as a PIT Count Surveyor. Your main role is to cover your entire assigned area.
- One or more people from your group will use the Counting Us app to input the results of your interviews with persons experiencing homelessness.
- If you need to leave early, or someone else from your group needs to leave early, always make sure that the group is not smaller than two people, and that the group is able to finish covering the entire map area during the day of the count.
- You will work with your jurisdictional lead and team lead for more detailed instructions.
What are our expectations of you as a Surveyor?
Our primary expectations are for you to be respectful, spread awareness, and practice deep, compassionate, and active listening. We can all learn things from each other, so don’t be afraid to seize the opportunity as a listener. When interacting with people experiencing homelessness, remember that we are guests in other’s spaces.
To learn more about practices on cultural humility, trauma-sensitivity, compassionate listening, and best practices, check out the resources below:
- The Importance of Cultural Humility in Today’s Society
- Cultural Humility: People Principles and Practices
- Compassionate Listening
- What is Trauma-Informed Care?
- Trauma-Informed Interviewing
How do I use the Counting Us App?
The steps to log a survey in the Counting Us App are:
- Login to Counting Us using the email and password you created when you registered as a volunteer
- Tap “Get Started”
- Tap the survey you want to conduct (options are listed below)
- Select a survey language
- Mark the type of person you are surveying as either an “individual" or "household”
- An individual is a single person that does not currently live with anyone else
- A household is a group of people (2+) who are currently living together
- Ensure your location is correct and tap “next step”
- Begin interviewing or observing!
Please watch all three videos as you will be using all three types of surveys for the Count.
The surveys in the Counting Us app can be broken into 3 groups:
- The Unsheltered survey
- The Unsheltered Observation Tally
- The Vehicle/Structure Observation Tally
For more information on Counting Us and the App’s functionality, click here.
For Frequently Asked Questions for Surveyors, click here.