2026 Point in Time (PIT) Count Resources for Surveyors 
NorCal/ Shasta-Redding County  
Date & Time of the Count: January 26, 2026 

 

Thank you for registering as a Surveyor for the 2026 Point in Time Count in NorCal/ Shasta-Redding 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 we Count  

Are you aware of homelessness hot spots in your area? Through the Counting Us App, you can help us locate critical areas to send surveyors during the day of the Count. 

 

Counting Us can be downloaded via Google Play or Apple: 

 

 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/Counting_Us_Google 

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Apple: https://bit.ly/Counting_Us_Apple 

 

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. Solano County is offering countywide training resources, to help you better prepare for the Count event.

  • Register for Live Surveyors Training Webinar (Coming Soon)
  • No time to attend the live webinar? We will include the recording at the link below:
  • (Coming Soon)

 

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- folks 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 important 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 folks 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 folks 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: 

 

 

How do I use the Counting Us App? 

The steps to log a survey in the Counting Us App are: 

  1. Login to Counting Us using the email and password you created when you registered as a volunteer 

  1. Tap “Get Started”  

  1. Tap the survey you want to conduct (options are listed below) 

  1. Select a survey language 

  1. 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 (2+) of people who are currently living together 

  1. Ensure your location is correct and tap “next step” 

  1. 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: 

  1. The Unsheltered survey 

  • Click here for a video describing how to conduct the Full Unsheltered Survey 

  • Click here for a PDF version 

  1. The Unsheltered Observation Tally 

  • Click here for a video describing how to conduct the Observation Tally 

  • Click here for a PDF version 

  1. The Vehicle/Structure Observation Tally 

  • Click here for a video describing how to conduct the Vehicle/Structure Observation Tally 

  • Click here for a PDF version 

 

For more information on Counting Us and the App’s functionality, click here.