1. POINT-IN-TIME COUNT
2014
Western Massachusetts Network to End
Homelessness

2. What we will cover:
• Purpose of the Point-in-Time Count
• What data are we collecting?
• Forms for data collection
• Definitions
• Process for turning in data
• New this year! Youth Count/Youth Surveys

3. DATA COLLECTION AND THE
POINT-IN-TIME COUNT
Background and Purpose

5. WHAT DATA ARE WE
COLLECTING?

6. Population Data
• 3 Household Types:
• Households with at Least One Adult and One Child
• Households without Children
• Households with Only Children (under age 18)
• 2 Sets of Data
• All households
• Veteran households

7. Population Data, continued
• Number of Households
• Number of People in Households
• Persons under age 18
• Persons 18-24
• Persons over age 24
• Gender: male, female, transgender
• Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino OR Hispanic/Latino
• Race: White, Black/African American, Asian, American
Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific
Islander, Multiple Races

8. Subpopulation Data
• Chronically Homeless
• Chronically Homeless Persons
• Chronically Homeless Households
• Persons in Chronically Homeless Households
• Adults with a Serious Mental Illness
• Adults with a Substance Abuse Disorder
• Adults with HIV/AIDS

9. COLLECTION PROCESS
Getting the data and providing it to the CoC

10. Categories of Data Providers
• Contributing ETO/ASIST HMIS Organizations
• Agencies with Comparable Data Collection Programs
• Agencies without Comparable Systems
• Street Count Teams

11. HMIS Providers
• Enter all HMIS data for
people who stay the
night of Jan. 29
• Hand-out shows data
that must be in HMIS
• Data entry complete by
8 am on Fri., Jan. 31

12. Comparable Data Collection Systems
• Collect and tally point-
in-time information
from your system.
• We will send you the
link to submit the data
by filling out an online
form.
• Please submit your
survey data within 72
hours of the night of
the count.

13. Agencies without Comparable Systems
• Staff completes a brief anonymous questionnaire with
each adult or head of household guest on the night of the
count.
• Submit completed questionnaires' to CoC by Friday., Jan.
24, 2014

14. Street Count
Homeless “Street” Interview Form - January 29, 2014
City/Town:________________________________________
Location: (site or nearest cross streets)_________________________
Interviewer: _______________________________________
Time:_________
1. Is this person :
Awake
8. How many times have you been homeless before this time?
0
1
2
3
4 or more
Asleep
2. Hello, I am (Name) from (organization)
I’d like to ask you a few questions about your housing situation. All of your
answers are strictly confidential.
Would you be willing to participate?
yes
no
3. As of today, do you have a place that you consider to be your home or the
place you live?
Yes (go to 4)
Refused
No (go to 5)
Don’t know
If 4 or more, did these episodes occur in the last three years?
Room
House
Camp
Don’t Know
Shelter
Apartment
Public Place
Abandoned Building
Car/Truck
Refused
Other ___________________________
Do you believe this person has a disability?
yes
no
unknown
If yes, list type: (MH, SA, D-D, physical)___________________________
female
unknown
Black/Af. Am.
White
Other or Multi-racial (list):_______________________________________
14. Do you consider yourself to be Hispanic?
6. After asking these question, do you believe that this person is homeless?
yes (fill out next questions)
no
yes
transgender
11. Are you alone?
yes
no
(If no, are you with a partner or family member?)
List:_________________________________________________________
13. What is your racial background?
Asian
Nat. Am./Alaskian
shelter
family/friends
street, park, open place
camp
hotel/motel
bus station, bus, bar, movies
car/truck
refused
don’t know
Other:__________________________________________
no
6b. What was the last zip code (city/town) you lived in before you became
homeless? List: _________________________________
7. How long have you been homeless this time?
<30 days
30-90 days
3-6 months
6 mos. to 1 yr.
1-2 years
2 - 3 years
> 3 years
5+ years
10+ years
male
12. Age: ____under 18, ___18-24, ____ 25-40, _____41-55, _____56-65
____ >65 ____Unknown, List age, if possible:__________________
5. Where do you usually sleep?
6a. Were you asked these questions by someone else today?
no
9. Do you have any of the following disabilities (if yes, ask if in treatment)?
mental health condition
yes
no
in treatment
physical disability
yes
no
in treatment
substance abuse problems
yes
no
in treatment
10. Gender:
4. Is that a room, apartment, house, shelter, or spot in some public place
(park, bus station)?
yes
yes
no
15. Did you ever serve in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?
yes
no
Were you activated as a member of the National Guard or as a Reservist?
yes
no
16. Identifiers: (if known or individual is willing to give it)
First three letters of your last name:
___ ___ ___
First letter of your first name: ____
Your date of birth: (month/day/year) _ _____
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP

15. DEFINITIONS
What do the terms mean?

16. Veteran
An adult who has served on active duty in the Armed
Forces of the United States. This does not include inactive
military reserves or the National Guard unless the person
was called up to active duty.
• Here’s what to ask:
• Have you ever served active duty in the US Armed Forces?
• Were you activated as a member of the National Guard or as a
Reservist?

17. Chronically Homeless Individual
• An adult who meets all three of the following conditions:
1. Current homelessness
In emergency shelter;
In a Safe Havens program; or
Staying in a place not meant for human habitation
2. Lengthy or repeat homelessness
Homeless continuously for at least one year; OR
At least 4 episodes of homelessness in the last three years
3. Disabling condition
Can be diagnosed with one or more of the following:
o substance use disorder,
o serious mental illness,
o developmental disability,
o post-traumatic stress disorder,
o cognitive impairments resulting from brain injury, or
o chronic physical illness or disability; and
The disability is expected to be long-continuing or of indefinite duration; and
The disability substantially limits the individual’s ability to live independently

18. Chronically Homeless Family
• Head of household (adult or minor) meets the definition
of chronically homeless ;
• Family does not have to have stayed together during
homelessness of head of household

19. Serious Mental Illness
An adult with a severe and persistent mental illness or
emotional impairment that seriously limits the person's
ability to live independently. The mental illness must be
expected to be long-continuing or indefinite duration.

20. Substance Abuse Disorder
An adult with a substance abuse problem (alcohol
abuse, drug abuse, or both) that substantially limits the
person’s ability to live independently and is expected to be
long-continuing or indefinite duration.

21. HIV/AIDS
An adult who has been diagnosed with AIDS and/or has
tested positive for HIV.

22. YOUTH COUNT 2014
A new initiative this year

23. MA Youth Count
• Youth = 24 and younger
• 1st statewide youth count in nation
• Different/additional tool to capture information about this
population
• Count PLUS Survey
• Survey completed by youth themselves
• Staff can provide assistance if wanted by the youth
• Incentives for completing surveys

25. Youth Survey Tips
• One survey should be completed and returned for each
youth staying in your facility.
• CoCs will confirm with you the number of youth HMIS
reports in your program(s).
• Please submit youth forms by Friday, Jan. 31