From sundown on Monday, Jan. 29, through sundown on Tuesday, Jan. 30, Adams County will conduct the Point in Time (PIT) count, the annual count of persons experiencing homelessness.
The PIT, mandated by the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, is an annual count of individuals and families experiencing literal homelessness across the country. It is intended to provide a snapshot of this population to support federal funding of programs; drive policy decisions at the local, state, and national level; and serve as one data point among several to help communities understand the scope of homelessness.
Adams County, in partnership with municipalities, nonprofits, and faith-based groups, intends to compile a more accurate depiction of the number of people experiencing homelessness than in previous years.
“This year Adams County and various nonprofit and municipal partners have invested a great deal of time and energy to ensure a more robust, accurate, and supportive count,” said Alix Midgley, the county’s homelessness liaison. Midgley is a licensed social worker who joined the county in 2017 with nearly a decade of non-profit experience serving populations facing homelessness in Denver, Durango, and Chicago.
Adams County will approach the count in three different ways:
- Deploying trained volunteers and service providers to survey individuals in areas that have been identified as “hot spots” commonly accessed by persons experiencing homelessness
- Hosting a series of events over a 24-hour period during which people experiencing homelessness will be surveyed and then connected to supportive services available in the community
- Surveying all individuals and families currently residing in emergency and transitional shelters
“I am inspired by the community’s commitment to learn more about this vulnerable population and to use this information to provide services to help best meet their needs,” said Midgley.
Midgley said results from the PIT count are expected later this year. For more information on the Adams County’s efforts on homelessness, contact Midgley at [email protected].
