SPOKANE, Wash. — Monday, January 22, marks the first day of Spokane’s Point-In-Time Count Week, also known as “PIT” Week.
Over the next few days, more than 200 volunteers across Spokane County are gathering a count of the homeless population.
Beyond the numbers, PIT Week also gives us an up-close look at the reality of being homeless in Spokane County.
“I think it’s a wonderful reminder of the kind of conditions and the place where many of our community members do live or call home,” Adam Schooley, a City of Spokane Homeless Housing Intervention Team Program Manager. “It is a very humbling experience for anyone who is maybe not familiar with homelessness or to the extent of homelessness does affect our community.”
Last year, the count totaled 2,390 people, meaning more than 2,000 people were asked how they need help.
Schooley says the Point-in-Time count is broken up into two different sections: count of those sheltered and those who are unsheltered.
“The numbers allow us to reflect the amount of need our community has and request those kinds of awards from HUD,” Schooley said.