The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual, census-like count of all persons experiencing homelessness within a geographic area. Counting and interviewing people sleeping in unsheltered locations during the winter months can provide a more precise number of people unable or unwilling to access emergency shelters or other crisis response assistance. 

Counting on a cold winter night can be very effective in raising public awareness of the challenges homeless people face without shelter. These counts are important local benchmarks that help measure changes in need at the population and subpopulation levels. PIT counts are a critical way of interacting with people experiencing homelessness, often including service engagement or provision of needed supplies and understanding the scope of the issue so that Continuums of Care (CoCs) can strategically plan on how to end homelessness in their communities. 

This year, the count in Lynn will be on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Lynn Shelter Association’s Street Outreach Team will conduct brief interviews with people who might be experiencing homelessness using a survey or observation tool if a survey or interview is not possible, ensuring that the entire CoC geography is canvassed and that people experiencing homelessness are connected to much-needed resources. 

If you know of someone experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the City of Lynn and would like to share their location so that they may be contacted by the Street Outreach Team to be counted and connected to support, please email [email protected] by Jan. 22.