The Point in Time Count is a one-day census of persons experiencing homelessness and the programs available to assist them

Council for the Homeless (CFTH) released the data from the 2023 Point in Time Count held January 26, 2023. All data is available at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/point-in-time-count/

The Point in Time Count is a one-day census of persons experiencing homelessness and the programs available to assist them. The Count is mandated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“It is critical that people understand the PIT is a snapshot of one day,” shares Charlene Welch, CFTH development and communications director. “It does not illustrate the full picture of our Homeless Crisis Response System. To learn more, please attend our June 27, 2023 webinar reporting out the full year of 2022 data including demographics and service activity.” Register at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/community-education/

2022 Point in Time highlights

CFTH Executive Director Sesany Fennie-Jones notes that, “Even though Clark County increased emergency shelter capacity, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased.”

Factors contributing to this include:

• Due to a lack of affordable places to live, people are not as able to find a place to live and move out of emergency shelter.
• People remain highly vulnerable to the lasting impacts of the pandemic. Many have deferred health needs and lack of and/or lost income.
• Rent increases and market forces have led the Fair Market Rent for a one bedroom apartment in Clark County to cost $1,512 per month. The housing wage to afford this apartment paying 30 percent of income in rent is $29.08. (source 2022 Out of Reach Report, National Low Income Housing Alliance)

Below are notes to the 2022 Point in Time data provided by Homeless Management Information System Administrator, Dale Whitley provide additional context.

1. People in Emergency Shelter increased 10 percent due to Bertha’s Place opening to full capacity in 2023 and the addition of the Hope Village Safe Stay shelter community.

2. People in TH increased 9 percent from 2022.

3. Number of sheltered seniors aged 62 or older increased 17 percent as a result of prioritizing that population for the new Bertha’s Place shelters.

4. Unsheltered people increased 8 percent from the 2022 count. Chronically homeless unsheltered individuals increased 78 percent from 2022 and unsheltered veterans increased 33 percent with 24 in 2022 and 32 in 2023.

5. Unsheltered families decreased slightly with 46 in 2022 and 43 in 2023. However, in 2023, 5 of those 43 families were also identified as chronically homeless households.

6. In 2023, the street count was planned and performed by an expanded number of coordinated year-round outreach teams whose knowledge and experience benefited the count.

Information provided by the Council for the Homeless.