There are a number of factors to consider when scheduling a PiT Count. Unlike communities in the United States, communities across Canada conduct PiT Counts at various times throughout the year. Further, the duration of counts – though usually not exceeding 24 hours – is different across communities. Finally, some communities conduct PiT Counts during the day, some during the night, and others a combination of both. There are benefits and challenges in each scenario. While there is neither a right nor a wrong approach, the timing of the count can affect the type of data that is collected.
The following table provides a brief overview of the different considerations that Canadian communities have used in determining when to conduct their PiT Counts.
TABLE 4. THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE
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Season |
Proponents of a winter count suggest that it is easier to enumerate homelessness when there are fewer rough sleepers and more individuals in the shelter. Others argue that hidden homelessness increases in the winter months, and thus goes undetected by winter counts. Conversely, many communities in the summer months face a migration influx, which may temporarily increase unsheltered homelessness numbers. |
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Time of Month |
Many communities conduct counts in the middle of the month. Individuals who receive social assistance payments are more likely to reside in hotels or other temporary accommodation at the beginning and the end of the month. Thus, counts occurring then may underestimate the extent of homelessness. |
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Day of Week |
PiT Counts are often held in the middle of the week. Volunteers conducting the unsheltered portion of the count are required to approach every person they see. This is made more difficult by increased foot traffic on the weekend. If you are conducting a service count, the count should be scheduled on a day that most services are open. |
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Duration of Count |
In Canada, PiT Counts rarely exceed 24 hours. Some communities conduct counts in as little as a few hours, others conduct counts that span over a 24-hour period. Generally, the longer the count, the more is required to de-duplicate the data. |
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Day or Night |
Communities that conduct counts during the night often do so to reduce the risk of double counting. After the shelters close, there is less movement between the streets and the shelters, thus reducing the risk of double counting. Conversely, communities that conduct counts in the daytime are more likely to find individuals that are neither unsheltered nor sheltered, but instead are couch-surfing. Some communities, such as Winnipeg, use a combination of both methods. Communities that incorporate service counts into the PiT Count will almost always do so during the day, when most services tend to be open. |
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Alignment |
Some communities determine the timing of their counts through alignment with other communities, either regionally or nationally. For instance, the 2014 Alberta Point-in-Time Count was conducted mostly in one evening, in mid-October. Communities participating in the Homelessness Partnering Strategy Coordinated Count will conduct counts from January to April. PiT Counts that are conducted during a fixed time period produce data that is more easily comparable. |
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Local Factors |
Local events and circumstances can also dictate when a count is scheduled. For example, it would be impractical to schedule a PiT Count during the Calgary Stampede, on the night of a mayoral election, during a university frosh week or overlapping a planned protest. |
A Focus on Youth
The considerations listed in Table 3 are as applicable to Youth Counts as they are to general PiT Counts. However, there are further considerations specific to youth that may affect the timing of your Youth Count.
Day vs. Night
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Hint! A Youth Count contains 5 enumeration methods: the sheltered count, the unsheltered count, the service count, magnet events and the public systems count. Each method targets a slightly different living situation. Communities must decide which methods to use. Doing so will help you to determine when and how to schedule the count. |
The timing of your count will be dependent on where and how you choose to enumerate Youth. Traditional PiT Counts, with only sheltered and unsheltered components, can be conducted easily at night. However, the COH recommends that communities implementing Youth Counts incorporate service counts and/or magnet events into their methodologies. Practically speaking, service counts are better done in the daytime, when services are open, and magnet events are better conducted in the afternoon or evening – when youth are awake and willing to attend. Of course, the sheltered count is best conducted at night, when youth have arrived for the evening.
Season
Schools and school boards are important assets in your count. As a result, you should avoid scheduling the count during the summer months. As the Youth Count! Process study identified, schools can play an important role in promoting the count and encouraging youth to attend magnet events. Teachers and staff can also volunteer to conduct surveys.
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Hint! The timing of your Youth Count will affect the number of youth you count. In turn, this affects the comparability of local Youth Count data. We recommend that communities conducting Youth Counts strive to align, wherever possible. The COH Workspace on Homelessness is a free, online forum where communities can discuss issues on homelessness, including Youth Count methodologies. |
Day of Week
Ask your stakeholders, including your Youth Subcommittee, to identify whether there are any days that youth are more or less likely to use services. Further, is there a day of the week that Youth would be more inclined to attend a magnet event?
Duration of the Count
As noted, PiT Counts typically span a time period of no greater than 24 hours. However in the US, some communities conduct Youth Counts over several days. Following the initial count, youth-specific services survey youth and ask them to indicate where they slept on a specific date (the first night of the count). Though the data collection lasts several days, the intent is to ascertain housing status on specific night or, a point-in-time. In many smaller Canadian communities, a longer time frame is likely unnecessary, but there may be local justifications for conducting a longer Youth Count.
For more information
For more information on when to conduct a PiT Count, refer to the COH PiT Count Toolkit: When to Conduct a Count.
Building Alignment: Tips & Strategies
The timing of the Youth Count may be dictated by the timing of the general PiT Count. Work with general PiT Count organizers to identify a time that satisfies the requirements of both counts. To ensure the greatest level of accuracy, you should measure the extent of homelessness at a single point in time. For example, if the general PiT count seeks to measure homelessness on March 23rd, so too should the Youth Count. Elements of the count - the shelter count, magnet events, service counts – can be conducted at different times, provided that all participants are asked where they are sleeping on a single date. Keep in mind, the longer and more complex the count, the greater likelihood for duplication. Both the Youth Count and general PiT Count should implement a standardized unique identifier system.