By Metro Philadelphia

The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and Continuum of Care  (CoC) are calling on volunteers to help with the 2026 Point-In-Time Count (PIT Count), an annual survey of both sheltered and unsheltered residents experiencing homelessness.

This year’s PIT Count will begin at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The count provides crucial data to better understand the scope of homelessness in Philadelphia and plan resources accordingly.

“PIT Count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to determine how many people there are who are experiencing homelessness in the city, whether sheltered or unsheltered,” said Cheryl Hill, Executive Director, Office of Homeless Services. “It’s important to know that because it helps inform our strategy about how to best address homelessness in the city.”

Volunteers will participate in free virtual training sessions starting in January. “Volunteers will learn about the purpose of the Point-in-Time Count and how the data is used, how to appropriately count and survey people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in accordance with HUD’s definitions of homelessness,” explained Najira Ahmed, CoC Activities and Governance Supervisor.  

During the count, survey teams are assigned zones throughout the city.  Volunteers, alongside Homeless Street Outreach and OHS staff, will engage with people living outdoors, document information, and connect individuals to available services. The data collected informs local, state, and federal agencies about where people are staying, for how long, and the barriers preventing permanent housing.

“Data collected includes basic demographic information such as age, sex, race, and ethnicity,” said Amy Gibson, Senior Project Manager, Office of Homeless Services. “This information is critical for determining needed resources and planning strategies to strengthen the Philadelphia homeless response system and designing programs and initiatives to meet the needs.”

In 2025, the PIT Count recorded 1,178 people sleeping on the streets, a 21 percent increase over the previous year.

Community members, advocates, and anyone interested in volunteering can sign up by Jan. 14 at bit.ly/2026PITCount.

Keywords

Homelessness,

Office of Homeless Services,

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development