2018 Point-In-Time Count: Data Gives a Voice to the Voiceless

Several families experiencing homelessness recently joined Mayor Muriel Bowser and city landlords to sign leases and receive keys to their new homes. Their journey to permanent housing began when each family found themselves without a stable and safe place to stay.

These families were among 422 households experiencing homelessness who successfully transitioned into permanent housing during the District’s “Home for the Holidays” campaign — a citywide effort to accelerate exits from homelessness during the holiday season.

Volunteers gather at Thomson Elementary School for the launch of the District’s 2018 Point-In-Time count.

Those efforts continued on Wednesday, January 24 at Thomson Elementary School as Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services HyeSook Chung, DC Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) Director Kristy Greenwalt, and The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP) Executive Director Sue Marshall gathered to launch the District’s annual Point-In-Time count.

Organized and conducted by TCP on behalf of the District of Columbia, volunteers engaged homeless neighbors throughout the city to make them aware of the services available to them and execute the annual Point-In-Time count of persons experiencing homelessness.

“Tonight is about ending homelessness in our city. Thank you to the many advocates who are working tirelessly on behalf of our most vulnerable residents. Our priority is to end homelessness and we are on track to do so,” commented Mayor Bowser.

Mayor Muriel Bowser addresses volunteers and advocates at the launch of the District’s 2018 PIT Count.

Volunteers and local and federal partners worked to gather data and information to inform the resources and services needed to help veterans, individuals and families exit homelessness.

In 2015, Mayor Bowser and her Interagency Council on Homelessness released “Homeward DC,” a five-year strategic plan to reform the District’s homeless services system and make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Between 2016 and 2017, after the first full year of the plan’s implementation, Washington, DC saw a 10.5 percent reduction in overall homelessness, a 22 percent reduction in homelessness among families, a 15 percent reduction among veterans experiencing homelessness, and a 3 percent reduction in homelessness among individuals.

A DHS employee engages homeless neighbor during 2018 Point-In-Time Count.

The work does not stop here. This year, shelter services at DC General will scale-down and the facility will close in December. DHS will continue working with households at DC General and across the city to prevent homelessness and move families and individuals into permanent housing.

Results for the 2018 Point-in-Time count will be announced in the coming weeks and we look forward to sharing those results with District residents and all who tirelessly work to end homelessness.