Each year, cities across the nation undertake a massive effort to physically count their unhoused residents.
An audio segment from KQED by Sydney Johnson describes how San Francisco city workers and volunteers conduct the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, which aims to accurately count the number of people living unhoused in the city.
Workers in the story describe the challenges of identifying people who live in vehicles and other hard-to-find areas, as well as people who are semi-housed or live on and off with friends or family. According to the piece, getting an accurate count is particularly difficult in many parts of California because a larger percentage of the state’s homeless population is unsheltered.
The Point-in-Time Count is an annual nationwide effort conducted each January. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gathers the data into a comprehensive report. In 2023, the report revealed that homelessness increased by 12 percent.
Read the full story: How San Francisco Counts Unhoused Residents
San Francisco Bans Living in RVs, Offers Chatbot for Assistance
The city is testing an AI tool to support its understaffed outreach services department, but advocates worry it won’t be accessible to many vehicle dwellers.
San Francisco Mayor Backtracks on Homelessness Goal
Mayor Dan Lurie ran on a promise to build 1,500 additional shelter beds in the city, complete with supportive services. Now, his office says they are “shifting strategy” to focus on prevention and mental health treatment.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
This Boston neighborhood is filling its roads with obstacles — intentionally
Somerville is embracing ‘extreme street makeovers’ to make its roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Planned $2 billion courthouse in MA sparks tension with local government
Springfield owns an essential piece of the land developers intend to build on, and some city officials do not want to see the project come to fruition.
Californians can now transform balconies into power generators
Gov. Gavin Newsom has legalized plug-in solar technology, which allows residents to plug solar panels directly into their outlets
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello