September 18-19, 2006 – Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Understanding the Extent and Nature of Homelessness at the Local Level: Implementing More Efficient and Accurate Point-in-Time Counts Dr. Martha Burt, Urban Institute Mary Joel Holin, Abt Associates Inc. Karen Booth, Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc. Jay Bainbridge, NYC Department of Homeless Services

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2 Overview Learning objectives Conducting point-in-time counts – the basics Guidance for integrating HMIS into your count –Baltimore City case study Karen Booth – Office of Homeless Services, Baltimore, MD Techniques for assessing the accuracy of counts –New York City case study Jay Bainbridge – New York City Department of Homeless Services

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 3 Learning Objectives To increase understanding of the key components of unsheltered and sheltered point-in-time counts and be prepared to increase the efficiency of counts in your own community. To learn how HMIS can assist with tracking bed inventories, determining unduplicated counts, and conducting a street and shelter count. To identify strategies to cope with challenges of gathering point-in-time data and using HMIS for point-in-time counts.

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 4 What Does It Mean to “Count” Homeless People? A point-in-time count enumerates the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population in your community A “count” = to collect information about 1.Enumeration data on the number of homeless persons 2.Descriptive information on those counted Demographic Service use Needs

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 5 Why Count Homeless People? To raise public awareness For planning and program development –Understand characteristics and needs –Develop programs based on need –Access resources for services and housing To measure progress in eliminating homelessness and to ensure accountability

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 6 Raising Public Awareness Conducting a count draws attention to the issue of homelessness –Possible opportunity for media attention –Especially useful in rural and suburban areas where homeless people are not typically visible –Opportunity for community discussion Opportunity to educate the public and local government officials about homelessness –Who becomes homeless and why –Service and housing needs

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 7 Planning and Program Development A point-in-time count/survey is a planning tool –Identifies characteristics and needs –Guides decisions about program development and resource allocation –Helps to quantify needed resources Point-in-time counts provide information that helps secure resources for homeless services –McKinney-Vento grant application –Other grant applications or private support –Justify requests for local or state government funds

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 8 Progress and Accountability Point-in-time counts can help measure progress in addressing homelessness over time –At the CoC and neighborhood levels Help answer the question: Do available services meet the existing needs? –Feeds into planning process and thoughtful program development

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 9 Whom to Count and Gather Information About According to HUD, point-in-time counts must be: “statistically reliable, unduplicated counts or estimates of homeless persons in sheltered and unsheltered locations at a one-day point in time” (SuperNOFA 2006) Conducted at least every other year and during the last seven days of January At minimum, count homeless persons according to HUD definitions and guidelines Information is reported in the Population and Subpopulations Chart in the McKinney-Vento application (Exhibit 1, Chart K)

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 10 HUD Guidelines and Reporting Requirements Count sheltered and unsheltered adults, children, and unaccompanied youth –Unsheltered homeless people reside in a places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, on the street –Sheltered homeless people reside in emergency shelter or a transitional housing (include hotel or motel vouchers for homeless people) Count the number of individuals, number of families, and number of persons in families

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 11 HUD Guidelines and Reporting Requirements Number of sheltered and unsheltered chronically homeless people Six other subpopulation categories required for sheltered and optional for unsheltered persons

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 12 HUD Guidelines and Reporting Requirements Housing Inventory Charts –Number of beds and units –By program type and individual project –Emergency shelter, transitional housing, AND permanent supportive housing Update inventory every year

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 13 Methods for Counting Homeless Persons Probably need a ‘menu’ approach, using a combination of where, when, how to count Unsheltered Counts (Street or public places counts) –Where to count Complete coverage Known locations Non-shelter services –When to count Night designated for the count: Last seven days in January Length of data collection –A ‘blitz’ count, 24 hours or less –More than 24 hours

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 14 Methods for Counting Homeless People Unsheltered Counts (cont.) –How to count unsheltered homeless people Simple count with observation Count plus interviews Service-based count (includes interviews) Probability sampling –Used by large cities and requires statistical expertise What methods are best for your community? Urban / Suburban Suburban / Rural

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 15 Methods for Counting Homeless People Sheltered Counts –Already know where and when to count –How to count Homeless Management Information System –Extract client-level count and/or subpopulation data Provider report or survey –Aggregate count of people in program –Subpopulation information or estimate for entire program Client-level survey using standardized instrument –Interview each client or a sample of clients –Program staff complete survey based on case records or knowledge of client Always collect count information from the provider, even if client interviews are completed

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 16 Challenges for Rural CoCs and Colonias Covering the territory Differentiating poorly housed from homeless people The continuum of residential instability Finding allies by including some high-risk-of- homelessness populations—assuming you differentiate when you report Special populations (migrant workers, border crossers, “snowbirds”)

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 17 Benefits of Using HMIS for Point-in-Time Counts Requires fewer resources over time than a non-HMIS PIT count Helps avoid duplicate counting Provides in-depth subpopulation data on persons who are counted without repetitive interviews Reinforces the value of the HMIS and contributes to year-round HMIS participation and data quality

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 18 How Can HMIS Be Used for a Point-in-Time Count? HMIS is a tool for gathering information about people who use services –More useful for sheltered count Communities will need to continue street or service- based counts even if outreach workers are using HMIS Potential uses for unsheltered counts –Provides an opportunity to populate the HMIS –Helpful with de-duplicating street or service-based counts

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 19 How Can HMIS Be Used for a Point-in-Time Count? Provides two components: 1. Count 2. Subpopulation information Typically used in combination with other data collection techniques Key considerations: –Data quality, data quality, data quality! –Make sure information is gathered or extrapolated for each provider

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 20 How Can HMIS Be Used for a Point-in-Time Count? Examples 1.HMIS for count + subpopulation information 2.HMIS for participating providers + paper survey for non-participating providers 3.HMIS for count + paper survey for subpopulation information 4.HMIS for subpopulation information + paper survey for count

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 21 How Can HMIS Be Used for a Point-in-Time Count? Examples (cont.) 5.HMIS for participating providers + extrapolation for non-participating providers 6.Have participating providers generate paper surveys using HMIS-canned reports

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 22 Methods for Collecting Housing Inventory Information HMIS bed management (possibly supplemented by surveys for non-HMIS providers) Survey providers –During point-in-time population count –Send the last Housing Inventory Chart for providers to update Include instructions on how to count seasonal beds, overflow beds, family units, vouchers

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 23 Key Considerations for Using HMIS Start planning early –4 to 6 months prior to count –Leave adequate time to assess data quality, improve data quality, and decide whether and how to use HMIS –Create a plan to gather sheltered data from non- participating providers –Refer to Guidance on Counting Sheltered Homeless People for details

September 18-19, 2006 – Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience Karen Booth Information Systems Coordinator Baltimore Homeless Services Baltimore City Health Department

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 25 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience Background: –Conducted in January 2005 –BHS worked with the Center for Poverty Solutions –PIT consisted of 3 components: Street count/interviews Shelter count (HMIS) Shelter surveys

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 26 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience Street Count/Surveys: –BHS staff and volunteers –Service-based approach –Count ran from 6:30am until 9:00pm –Counted individuals on the street and engaged some to conduct in-depth interviews

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 27 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience Shelter Survey: –BHS staff and volunteers –Went to emergency and transitional programs –Engaged clients and conducted in-depth interviews

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 28 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience Shelter Count: –BHS attempted to use the HMIS to count the number of clients housed in both emergency and transitional programs on January 30, 2005 –Gaps Analysis report from HMIS Number of individuals and individuals in families in shelter Number of families and average family size Number of chronically homeless Other “special population” characteristics

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 29 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience What we found: –Numbers in the Gaps analysis did not match what BHS believed to be the utilization rate for all shelters for that night What it meant: –Programs were not entering and exiting clients as diligently as they should have been

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 30 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience What we found: –Excess number of volunteers were sent to shelters that were using the HMIS What it meant: –Need to re-think how we allocate valuable resources for the next PIT. Need to put volunteers out on the street and in shelters that do not use the HMIS.

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 31 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Baltimore City’s Experience What we found: –Other special characteristics (chronic, substance abuse, etc.) numbers were not as high as expected What it meant: –Shelter staff needed more PIT-specific training and more advance notice about the PIT and what information would be collected AND –BHS staff needed to employ more rigorous data quality measures

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 32 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Lessons Learned It’s not just about coverage –Just because an agency’s beds are accurately reflected in your system, does not mean their data is 100% accurate

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 33 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Lessons Learned Verify data quality and accuracy prior to PIT date –Work with providers to verify: Number of beds and/or units represented on HMIS Staff enter data on a timely basis Staff are aware of importance of data quality and accuracy

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 34 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Lessons Learned Conduct PIT/HMIS training with provider staff –Review data that will be used for PIT –Train on data quality and accuracy

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 35 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Recommendations Recommendations: –PIT staff and HMIS staff should work collaboratively to plan –Providers should also be involved in planning –Review previously used PIT instruments, HMIS data fields, current reports, etc.

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 36 Using HMIS for a Point-in-Time Count: Recommendations Recommendations (cont’d): –Look at coverage on HMIS Parameters - Which programs participate in your HMIS and which do not? This will tell you how to allocate your “manpower” What percentage of emergency beds and transitional beds/units are represented on your HMIS? This will help to inform your decision about only using your HMIS or supplementing

September 18-19, 2006 – Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development New York City HMIS Count: Use of Sampling and Plant-Capture for a Point-in-Time Estimate Jay Bainbridge, Ph.D. Assistant Commissioner Policy and Planning Division New York City Department of Homeless Services

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 38 NYC HMIS Point-in-Time Count  Sheltered DHS shelters Drop-in centers Private shelters Other CoC shelters  Unsheltered Streets Subway trains Subway stations Parks Transportation hubs Hard-to-reach areas

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 39 NYC HMIS Sheltered Count  Prepare for the count  Use existing databases  Survey programs without HMIS  Estimate subpopulation counts

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 40 NYC HMIS Unsheltered Count Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)  Counts within public places  Uses a sampling strategy  Relies on volunteers  Builds in a plant-capture method for quality assurance

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 41 NYC HOPE – Sampling Frame  Divide the City into small geographic areas  Treat subways as their own entity  Sort the areas into those with many unsheltered individuals and those with few, based on: Previous year’s data Experience and knowledge of experts

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 42 NYC HOPE – Sampling Strategy  Cover all areas designated as having many homeless people  Draw a stratified random sample from the remaining areas  Stratify by borough and subway  Determine the appropriate sample sizes, based on: Standard deviations Confidence level (95 percent) Precision (differs by borough)

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 43  Assign 3-5 volunteers per team  Select a team leader who has: Outreach experience, Detailed local knowledge, or HOPE experience  Cover 1-4 areas/subway stations NYC HOPE – Survey Teams

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 44  Administer quickly If sleeping, consider person homeless If awake, ask a series of 4-7 questions  Determine homeless status  Eliminate double-counting  Make available in both English and Spanish NYC HOPE – Survey Instrument

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 45  Assign volunteers per training site  Have a leader with several helpers manage each site  Train volunteers from p.m.  Survey from 12:05 – 4:00 a.m.  Take security measures  Allow for contingencies NYC HOPE – The Night of the Survey

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 46  Survey everyone in the assigned areas  Cover the assigned areas only once  Approach everyone respectfully  Follow rules to determine homeless status  Call on outreach if a person wishes to come inside  Follow protocol for emergency weather conditions  Stay safe NYC HOPE – Volunteer Training

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 47 Increasing HOPE Accuracy through a Plant- Capture Study  Goal: Determine if volunteers successfully found and counted the visible homeless in their assigned study areas  Approximation: Deploy decoys and see if they are counted  Adjust the census count to correct for the estimated number of uncounted decoys

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 48  Stratify allocation of plants: by borough + density, according to City’s sampling-fractions  Randomly distribute according to above formula –150 plants to cover 75 sites  Assign plants in pairs (for safety) to precise positions after advance reconnaissance of sites  Instruct plants to stay awake, behave appropriately, and turn over stickers when approached by HOPE survey teams Plant-Capture Design

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 49 Plant-Capture Benefits  Enables CoC to better quantify the unsheltered  Helps provide visibility to the count  Motivates volunteers and enhances overall success  Does not interfere with general operations  Lends credence with independent evaluation

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 50 Plant-Capture Challenges  Managing logistics  Ensuring adequate coverage by decoys Having more plants would be better, but at a cost  Recruiting decoys who look and act like stereotypical street-dwellers  Determining who was “missed”

September 18-19, Denver, Colorado Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 51 Lessons Learned  Good News Focus on data and targets is leading to fewer homeless  The Count is Better Every Year More volunteers showed and more decoys were counted  It’s not just about the numbers  Important Work Ahead