Riverside County has made the decision to only conduct a sheltered homeless Point in Time (PIT) count in 2024, thereby enabling it to focus its resources on transitioning those living on the streets into permanent housing. The county will carry out a full PIT count next year.
According to a press release from Riverside County, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allows for this shift towards a biannual count.
“Our county recognizes the importance of utilizing data to drive effective strategies that combat homelessness. By shifting to a biannual count, we can redirect valuable resources towards housing initiatives while continuing to strengthen our system of care. This decision aligns with our commitment to finding long-term solutions and improving the lives of our homeless population,” stated Chuck Washington, chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, in the press release.
In FY 2022-2023, as per the county’s press release, more than 17,260 individuals were assisted by the county; 6,104 among them received permanent housing and other essential services. Of those individuals who were provided with housing assistance, 86% remain housed.
“While we are not conducting an unsheltered count in 2024, we are intensifying our response to homelessness based on the data and knowledge acquired through the 2023 count, along with previous counts,” said Heidi Marshall, Director of HWS – the department responsible for conducting the PIT count. Marshall added that their efforts have so far resulted in 5,186 new housing placements.
According to information available on HUD’s website, continuums of care (CoCs) that receive federal funding for addressing homelessness are mandated to conduct PIT counts at least every two years. They are also required to carry out a Housing Inventory Count (HIC) annually to demonstrate which residential resources are focused on assisting homeless people.
