On Wednesday, January 28, City staff including Director of Social Services Jazmine Bradsher, Brockton Police Captain John Hallisey, and Brockton Police Sergeant Jason Ford, participated in the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.
The PIT Count is a nationwide effort conducted annually in January to gather demographic information and count the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, on a single night. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates this annual count to assess the number of people residing in emergency shelters, transitional housing, Safe Havens, and additional locations.
On this particular night, the team counted 19 persons who were, at that moment, unsheltered.
The number of persons outside fluctuates throughout the year. Outreach groups check locations throughout the City on a regular basis throughout the entire year to monitor active sites and to offer resources. This information is tracked and reported continuously to HUD to ensure numbers remain as accurate as possible. The Point In Time event has specific guidelines set as to when to go out, how to categorize data, and a number of safety protocols put in place to ensure the groups participating, often containing volunteers, remain as safe as possible. Many of the volunteers are from agencies that work with the unhoused population. Groups are assigned different locations in order to cover as much ground as possible.
Nineteen will not always be the total number of people outside on a given evening. The Point-in-Time Count takes place on a given night in January. For anyone located, and that willingly discloses they are living outside at that “point-in-time,” they are then considered unsheltered. That number, along with the number of people who have entered shelters, hospitals, safe havens, and other programs that have disclosed they are experiencing homelessness is provided to HUD. HUD will receive the number, the data for the various types of locations mentioned above, and some basic demographic information. A large part of the process is to speak to as many people as possible, and to get them indoors, even if they only agree to come in occasionally.
The low number of people encountered this year can be attributed to the extreme cold and snow. Many tents were destroyed by the snow, forcing people to seek other options. While we know some vacant buildings may have people staying in them, a considerable number have been boarded up after being cleared. Those locations are checked for any signs of entry, but for the safety of those participating in the count who are usually volunteers, only the police would be permitted to check these types of locations. There are also safety measures in place regarding approaching vehicles that are reviewed with the groups before going out. Additionally, anyone who chose to enter shelter when spoken to, would be counted as “sheltered” for that evening.
The process is extensive, and there other factors that determine the numbers. Should you have additional questions, please contact Jazmine Bradsher at [email protected].