Central Florida’s annual “Point-in-Time” (PIT) count, an annual physical count of homeless individuals, serves as a gauge to capture the number of persons or families in a community who meet the federal definition of homeless, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The PIT count takes place at the same time nationwide each year, providing communities with important information about the scale of homelessness, need for services, and possible trends in how homelessness is changing over time. Communities that receive federal funding for homeless services are required to conduct a comprehensive homeless shelter and street count at least every two years in order to maintain funding eligibility, and are encouraged to conduct the PIT Count every year.