Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Washington state require a statewide count of all persons staying in temporary housing programs (sheltered count) and places not meant for human habitation (unsheltered count). The Department of Commerce provides survey forms for counties and agencies to use for their counts. Counties can use their own forms if they comply with state guidelines.
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. This count is conducted annually, in every county, in every state, on the same day. Data from Yakima County is reported to the Washington State Department of Commerce, who in turn reports to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Yakima County’s local reports can be found below: