Contra Costa County’s Health Services Department Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) has conducted a PIT Count every January since 2013 to improve our understanding of homelessness at the local level and support prioritization of vulnerable populations’ needs.
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count provides a comprehensive snapshot of individuals experiencing homelessness—both sheltered and unsheltered—on a single night in late January. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this annual count requires Continuums of Care to account for sheltered individuals who are in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and safe havens, as well as unsheltered individuals who live in places not meant for human habitation like cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings.
As a result, the Continuum of Care (CoC) must submit PIT Count data to HUD. This data is collected across the country to estimate homelessness and provide information about the demographics of people experiencing homelessness.
Data collected from the Point-in-Time Count helps identify:
- The causes of homelessness
- Create better policies, programs, and funding allocations
- Track progress in reducing homelessness
The Health, Housing, and Homeless Services Division (H3) positioned within Contra Costa Health, and the Contra Costa Dept of Information Technology Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Team, collaborates on the planning, implementing, analyzing, and reporting on PIT Count findings.
What to Expect as a Volunteer:
- You will be part of a team assigned to canvass designated areas of the county to identify signs of unsheltered homelessness.
- Volunteers need to participate in an in-person training session to prepare for the count.
- Volunteers will use a geolocation app on their smartphone or tablet to document observations, such as sleeping arrangements like tents, vehicles, or abandoned buildings.
Your participation is crucial to the success of this initiative and helps ensure accurate data collection on our unsheltered population. If you have any questions please contact us at PITcount@cchealth.org or call our office at (925) 608-6700
RESOURCES
Related
- July 2025 – Contra Costa County: Homeless Count Sees 26 Percent Drop: Contra Costa County released its 2025 Point in Time Count which shows 2,118 people experiencing homelessness – 26% less between 2024 and 2025. The count took place on January 30 and here is a look at homeless data over the past few years.
- 2025: 2,118
- 2024: 2,843
- 2023: 2,372
- June 2024 – 2024 Point in Time: Contra Costa County Sees Increase in Homelessness