All PiT Counts require a PiT Count Coordinator. The Coordinator should be employed and accountable to the Lead Agency – the service or organization responsible for planning and executing the PiT Count. The PiT Count Coordinator, alongside the Lead Agency, is responsible for building community support, liaising with stakeholders, managing the budget and adhering to the agreed-upon timelines.
“The PiT Count Coordinator will require a range of skills and qualifications. The individual should have a thorough understanding of homelessness, particularly in your local context. The PiT Count Coordinator should also have demonstrated success in coordinating large-scale community projects. Ideally the Coordinator will have a range of pre-existing relationships with key stakeholders in the community.”
-Excerpt from the COH Point-in-Time Count Toolkit
A Focus on Youth
A Youth Count Coordinator should have experience working with vulnerable youth or alternatively, conducting research on youth homelessness.
In addition to a working knowledge of youth homelessness, it is beneficial for a Youth Count Coordinator to have pre-existing relationships with local youth-serving agencies. This will reduce the time it takes to engage stakeholders at the outset of the count.
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Youth Count Resource Download a sample job description for a Youth Count Coordinator. |
Finally, consider your local context carefully. In many communities, Indigenous and LGBTQ youth are overrepresented among youth experiencing homelessness. Further, newcomer youth can be disproportionately overrepresented. Consider these priority areas when assessing the strengths of a potential Youth Count Coordinator candidate.
Building Alignment: Tips & Strategies
A separate Youth Count will require a dedicated PiT Count Coordinator. If you are building alignment with a general PiT Count, you may need an alternative leadership structure. For example, in discussion with the general PiT Count organizers, you may decide it most efficient to employ only one PiT Count Coordinator who is responsible for both the general PiT Count and the Youth Count (example 3). In smaller communities, this may be an option. In most communities, we recommend having a designated Coordinator for the Youth Count (example 2). This Coordinator may act as an Assistant Coordinator and work closely with the main PiT Count Coordinator (example 1).
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES
