FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Annual Point-In-Time Count Scheduled for January 26
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The annual Skagit County Point-in-Time (PIT) count is scheduled for Thursday, January 26, and will once again be administered by Community Action of Skagit County in partnership with Skagit County Public Health and other community partners. ?
The PIT count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and is required by federal mandate through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Based on HUD?s definition of homelessness, the survey includes individuals who are unsheltered, and those residing in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night.
The count provides a snapshot of homelessness in Skagit County each year and is incredibly useful to Public Health and other community partners that serve those who are housing challenged or experiencing homelessness. While it is not possible to count every homeless person, the methodology includes outreach efforts targeting known areas and general canvassing to capture the best picture possible. The count allows for the analysis of trends over time by using consistent methodology.
The PIT includes use of a survey tool which provides a means for gathering information directly from individuals and families experiencing homelessness about their needs and the causes of homelessness. The PIT results, along with other data and information, will be crucial to the Skagit County North Star Project when developing an action plan to address behavioral health and housing needs in our community.
Community Action of Skagit County is seeking volunteers for this year's event to conduct surveys in various locations such as food banks, hot meal programs, social service agencies and other places. Volunteers must be comfortable approaching strangers and speaking in a respectful manner with people from diverse backgrounds. A required training will occur the week of January 23 and will include safety training and instruction on how to fill out the PIT Count Survey.
If you are interested in volunteering for the PIT count, please fill out the volunteer sign-up form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTIvq8-mfit3xhlTa9j9P3i0cEtSNRyvrtx3MweXvfaTimsg/viewform
For more information about the PIT count, please contact Dulce at [email protected] or call (360) 588-5722. For information about the North Star Project, visit www.skagitcounty.net/northstar or call Skagit County Public Health at (360) 416-1500.
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