Wood County Point In Time Count tracking homelessness

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – Wednesday night’s temperatures as low as nine below zero with winds up to seven miles per hour made the air temperatures feel as cold as -14 to – 23 degrees. 15 Brave and bundled volunteers gathered at the North Central Community Action office at 10:30PM in Wisconsin Rapids to receive instructions, supplies, and resource information before setting out for the Point in Time Count.

Katie Schumer is the Outreach Case Manager/Coordinated Entry Specialist for North Central Community Action Program. She instructed volunteers on how to do the Point in Time Count. Everyone received a folder with resource information and forms to complete the count. 

“I have bags over that each group can take. Inside those bags are hygiene products, hats, gloves, there’s information in there for 211,” Schumer instructed. “There’s information for me in there and how you get connected to Coordinated Entry.”

What is the PIT Count?

The Point in Time or PIT Count is a required count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. This helps communities understand the total need for shelter and housing locally. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development requires these numbers twice a year to guide resource allocation and strategies.

Ham and amateur radio operators volunteer to coordinate between groups as they canvas their assigned areas. Net control W9DQA reached out to each group in turn throughout the night to check on progress and make sure they could remain in touch. 

Mayor Matt Zacher was among the volunteers.

“This is my first time out,” said Zacher. “Just understanding that this actually happens as we’re diving into some of the issues we’re having in the Wisconsin Rapids area.”

Recent meetings between city and county officials are bringing to light some of the challenges they face. One of the biggest being that each agency defines homelessness differently. 

On this chilly night in Wood County, the PIT count for people sleeping outside was zero.