2024 Point in Time Count

Since 2021, Lane County's Continuum of Care has applied for and received a waiver to utilize a revised Homeless by Name List for the Point in Time Count. The results, while slightly higher than in previous years, were determined to be more accurate and complete by service providers, homeless advocates, other stakeholders in the community, and analysts reviewing the data. The count has likely been higher since 2021 using this method because 1) The Lane County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is comprehensive and captures most of the service transaction activity provided to people experiencing homelessness; and 2) Increased street outreach staffing and geographic coverage have resulted in more individuals engaged in services.

What is the Homeless By-Name List?
The HBNL is generated from the data entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Currently, 30 agencies participate in HMIS and enter data for approximately 230 projects. While many of these are traditional projects like Rapid Re-Housing and Street Outreach, Lane County’s HMIS also encompasses other types of projects such as food pantries, meal sites, and general social services that provide basic needs including transportation vouchers, laundry facilities, and showers. Throughout the year, all projects collect the Universal Data Elements (UDE) and disabling condition information necessary to determine homeless status, and clients’ housing status is updated throughout the year as individuals may move in or out of homelessness. These data are used to distinguish who, by name, will be reported as experiencing homelessness each month. In turn, this list is used to track trends, inflow and outflow, and demographics of people experiencing homelessness in the county. The list also helps identify individuals most at-risk for case conferencing and intensive services, including shelter and housing. 

The HBNL is considered by homeless advocates, providers, and other community stakeholders to be a more reliable count of the unhoused population in Lane County.  

While our HBNL data is robust, HMIS does not provide an exact count of all individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.  On the day of the PIT count, Lane County will use outreach workers to administer surveys in areas where individuals are less likely to have engaged in services. We are working with law enforcement, forest management, public works, and other community stakeholders to identify locations where outreach workers will ask individuals to complete a survey. Special attention will be focused on rural areas where there are fewer service providers, and community locations where individuals may go during the day including libraries. Additionally, Lane County will be conducting targeted outreach, as well as hosting magnet events, to survey young people under age 25 on the day of the count as part of our Youth PIT Count strategies.

Any unsheltered individuals who complete a survey and are not already included on our HBNL will be included in our final PIT count.