2025 Point-In-Time Count: Volunteers Needed To Help Ensure #Everybodycountsclt

POINT-IN-TIME COUNT

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is part of a comprehensive, nationwide effort to gather data on homelessness. This annual event takes place each January and provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night, allowing communities to better understand the number of people experiencing homelessness, their characteristics and needs, and their living situations. This crucial data informs local policies, guides the allocation of resources, and is included in national reports that shape homelessness and housing funding and strategies. 

Last year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg counted 2,095 people experiencing homelessness. This included 193 families with minor children, 77 unaccompanied youth ages 18-24, and 384 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Preparations and planning are underway for the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and we need your help. Community support and engagement are essential to not only make this year’s PIT a success but also to continue moving forward the work to prevent and end homelessness in Mecklenburg County.

HOUSING COUNTS

The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) which is conducted on the same night as the PIT Count, assesses the capacity of the local Continuum of Care to house people experiencing homelessness. It captures the community’s availability of emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing solutions like rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. The HIC is a critical component to understand trends in homelessness and the system’s overall capacity to meet the temporary and permanent housing needs of people experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

WHY WE COUNT

While HUD requires that all Continuums of Care (CoCs) conduct an annual count of all persons experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, the annual PIT count in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is about more than compliance—it’s about community. It is about ensuring Everybody Counts. Mecklenburg County community members count as advocates, service providers, family, and friends because recognizing each individual experiencing homelessness and their humanity is a vital step toward change.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Mecklenburg County Community Support Services and Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition are leading the 2025 Point-in-Time Count and there are several ways you can be a part of ensuring everybody counts.

• Volunteer Your Time: On January 23, 2025, we need volunteers to help complete surveys with people experiencing homelessness. If you have never volunteered before and would like to learn more, we will be hosting 2 info sessions for prospective volunteers. You can learn more about the information sessions here and register to volunteer here.
• Donate Supplies: Support the 2025 PIT Count by donating essential items for people sleeping outside in our community. Check out the Amazon Wishlist for the most needed items, or make a financial contribution to provide these supplies and a warm breakfast for our neighbors on the morning of the PIT. To make a financial contribution to Hearts for Invisible Coalition, the lead outreach organization in our community, click here.
• Spread the Word: Use your voice to raise awareness and share this information with friends, family, and networks via social media using the #EverybodyCountsCLT hashtag. Stay informed and participate in community activities outlined on the 2025 PIT Activities Calendar. This year’s calendar will be available mid-December at the Point-in-Time Count page on the Housing and Homelessness Dashboard.

In addition, if you see a person or group who you believe to be unsheltered, please complete the Street Outreach Referral form. This helps outreach teams locate, engage, and support people, ensuring that everyone who needs assistance is included in the count.