Volunteers Help the County with the Point-in Time Count

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Every year, within the last 10 days of January, social services organizations across the country mobilize volunteers for a single night to count their homeless population. This effort, known as the Point-in-Time, or PIT, Count, is required by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development and helps to gain insight regarding an area’s homeless population. 

The Prince William County Department of Social Services, or DSS, in collaboration with the Area Continuum of Care for Homelessness, or CoC, recently conducted the annual count. The effort involved volunteers canvassing the community to gather data, complete surveys and engage with individuals experiencing homelessness. 

"The Point-in-Time count is critical because it provides a snapshot of homelessness in a community on a given night, helping to identify needs, allocate resources and develop strategies to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness," said DSS Director Phyllis Jennings-Holt. 

Aside from helping to determine the number of those experiencing homelessness, the survey results will determine the amount of federal funding that will come to the community. The survey also helps identify service gaps and raises public awareness about homelessness.  

“Homelessness does not discriminate,” said Alicia La Patra, PIT Leader and Senior Systems Business Analyst with Prince William County. “I’ve met people with PhDs, and I’ve met people with third-grade educations. We want people in the community to be open to the very real systemic issues that create homelessness. It’s rarely by choice. It’s important to count the homeless because it’s about raising public awareness, and I think it humanizes the folks who are out there.”  

Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter expressed his gratitude for the volunteers’ dedication. “This is a critically important annual campaign supported by local volunteers focused on better understanding the needs of our unsheltered population so that we can get them the resources they need. Without the volunteers’ commitment to helping with the PIT, the county’s job would be immensely more difficult. We are so grateful for the work they do and their willingness to serve in this way.”   

For those interested in assisting the unsheltered community, please contact Alicia La Patra at [email protected], or call 703-792-8791.

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