New HUD Guidelines for Point-in-time Survey “Assure an Undercount” of Unhoused Americans

Homelessness advocacy workers are warning that new guidelines put in place by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for this year’s point-in-time count “assure an undercount” of people living unsheltered, reports Michael Lyle in Nevada Current.

According to Lyle, while the organizations conducting the survey are instructed to count street-level homelessness and people staying in temporary shelters and transitional housing, “Other often overlooked unhoused populations that won’t be reflected in the final numbers include those experiencing homelessness who were incarcerated at the time of the count and unhoused people in emergency rooms and hospitals.”

The count also excludes people living in precarious or “less-than-optimal” situations that face extreme housing insecurity.  “Because HUD has specific reporting guidelines, counties usually limit data collection during the PIT count to what is specifically required or mandated.” However, some counties are making a concerted effort to gather additional information, such as gender identity, to better understand the needs of their unhoused community.