 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On January 24-25, 2024 Evansville will conduct its annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness in the community, including sheltered and unsheltered homeless men, women, children, and families. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the count provides a snapshot of the number and characteristics of people experiencing homelessness in Evansville. The Aurora Homeless Outreach Team conducts the count with support from area homeless shelters and agencies, in conjunction with the Region 12 Homeless Services Council and Commission on Homelessness for Evansville and Vanderburgh County.Â
WHO – Aurora Homeless Outreach Team and other agencies, including United Caring Services, Ozanam Family Shelter, House of Bread and Peace, Evansville Rescue Mission, YWCA Evansville, & Dorothea McGregor.Â
WHEN – The count begins Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 12:00 p.m., and concludes at noon on Thursday, January 25, 2024.Â
WHERE –Â
Shelters: Evansville’s United Caring Services initiates a white flag, so any and all can come to the shelter for the night. Evansville Rescue Mission hosts White Flag for men. (it makes counting the majority easier). The shelter staff completes the survey forms for each person and enters the info into HMIS (Indiana’s homeless data tracking system). Shelter Programs not on the HMIS system receive paper forms to complete and send to Aurora for entry into HMIS.Â
Street: Aurora’s Homeless Outreach Team goes out on the streets with survey forms in hand, to places where it is known that homeless people congregate or stay. The outreach team completes the forms and enters the information into HMIS. Street counts are conducted by this team in nine other surrounding counties in the region. In addition to Vanderburgh, the region also includes Knox, Warrick, Daviess, Spencer, Pike, Dubois, Perry, Posey, and Gibson.Â
About the Point-in-Time Count The annual point-in-time count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for communities receiving its funds for programs to aid people experiencing homelessness. The count includes sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, including emergency shelters and transitional housing, locations unfit for habitation, and hotels paid for by non-profit agencies in lieu of emergency shelter. HUD aggregates the local data each year as a snapshot of homelessness nationally. HUD utilizes PIT data in its strategic planning for future programs to address homelessness.Â
