2020 Point-In-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 DATA Briefpage 1
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Basic Needs | Allegheny County 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 DATA BRIEFpage 1 ALLEGHENY COUNTY 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data August 2020 Each year, Allegheny County participates in a national effort required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to count the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The Point-in-Time (PIT) homeless count enumerates the sheltered (residing in emergency homeless shelters or transitional housing programs) and unsheltered (residing in places not meant for human habitation) homeless population within the County. The count is mandated by HUD to occur during the last 10 days in January every year. In 2020, the count took place on January 29. The low temperature on that night was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, which was much higher than the -7 degrees temperature for the PIT count in 2019. This data brief focuses on the January 2020 PIT count, with results of the January 2019 PIT count included for comparison. For an analysis of previous years’ PIT count data and more information about the annual data collection process, see related reports by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS).1 HUD issues guidelines for conducting PIT counts each year; variations in count methodologies over the years may contribute to increases or decreases year to year. In 2020, there were no changes in the HUD guidance in conducting PIT counts from the previous count. However, fluctuations in the number of volunteer data collectors, weather conditions and areas that were canvassed resulted in variations across time.2 Certain populations that are in unstable housing situations but not considered homeless by HUD’s definition are not included in the PIT count; for example, the PIT count does not include people who are in danger of becoming homeless in the near future, people living in doubled-up situations, or people enrolled in permanent housing programs for the formerly homeless. 1 Related reports about past PIT counts include 2 For historical homelessness data and a view “Allegheny County 2019 Point-in-Time of homelessness over time, see the interactive Homelessness Data,” “Allegheny County 2018 dashboard. Point-in-Time Homelessness Data,” “Allegheny County 2016 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data,” “Allegheny County 2015 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data” and “Allegheny County Point-in-Time Homelessness Data, 2010 through 2014.” www.alleghenycountyanalytics.us | The Allegheny County Department of Human Services Basic Needs | Allegheny County 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 page 2 Bridge Housing: A transitional housing the age of 25 or a family with children Safe Haven: A form of supportive facility funded by the PA Department of that has experienced persistent housing that serves hard-to-reach Human Services and designed to provide instability, or (4) is fleeing domestic homeless people with severe mental housing and appropriate supportive violence and has no other residence. illness who come primarily from the services to homeless people to facilitate A full definition can be found here. streets and have been unwilling to movement to independent living within participate in housing services. In one year. People utilizing bridge housing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): Allegheny County, these types of are considered to be homeless. Combines housing with more intensive shelters currently serve eligible services for those with one or more veterans. People utilizing safe havens Emergency Shelter: A facility with chronic disabling conditions. These are considered to be homeless. overnight sleeping accommodations, programs do not have a limit on length the primary purpose of which is to of stay as long as the tenant pays their Winter Shelter: An emergency shelter provide temporary shelter. People portion of the rent and follows the rules that provides sleeping accommodations utilizing emergency shelters are of their lease. People residing in PSH between 7 pm and 7 am, November 15 considered to be homeless. are not considered to be homeless. through March 15. People utilizing a Winter Shelter are considered to be Homelessness: According to HUD, Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): Programs homeless. a person or family is literally homeless that assist individuals or families who if they fall into one of the following are experiencing homelessness to move Transitional Housing: A facility designed categories: (1) lacking a fixed, regular as quickly as possible into permanent to provide housing and appropriate and adequate nighttime residence, housing and to achieve stability in that supportive services to homeless which includes a place not meant housing through a combination of people to facilitate movement to for human habitation or a shelter, rental assistance, housing search and independent living within a reasonable (2) will imminently lose their primary supportive services. People utilizing amount of time. nighttime residence within 14 days, RRH programs are not considered to (3) is an unaccompanied youth under be homeless. www.alleghenycountyanalytics.us | The Allegheny County Department of Human Services Basic Needs | Allegheny County 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 page 3 JANUARY 2020 POINT-IN-TIME COUNT TRENDS During the 2020 PIT count, 887 people were found to be experiencing homelessness, which is 113 more people than in 2019 (Figure 1). FIGURE 1: Total PIT Count, 2016 through 2020 n All People n Households without Children n Households with Children 1,200 1,156 1,145 1,000 887 783 774 800 745 748 617 600 507 535 400 200 132 120 85 72 76 0 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Key findings in 2020: • There were more families with children served in 2020 than in 2019, and the size of these families was also slightly larger. The average size of families with children in 2020 was 3.5 people per family, compared to 3.3 in 2019. • There was an increase in the number of households without children (i.e., those not in a family unit), from 535 in 2019 to 617 in 2020. • More people were residing in locations not meant for habitation (also known as street homeless). The increase in unsheltered homeless was a result of winter weather being mild, people living in abandoned buildings, and more areas of the county being canvassed. • Additional areas in the county that were believed to have people living in places not meant for human habitation were canvassed for the unsheltered homeless count. This is the second year of significant expansion of the canvassing team that counts people residing on the street. This massive coordinated effort targeted new locations previously not canvassed and partially contributed to the increase in the unsheltered count. • No households with children were identified as living in places not meant for human habitation. www.alleghenycountyanalytics.us | The Allegheny County Department of Human Services Basic Needs | Allegheny County 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 page 4 See below for more detail about fluctuations in the number of people served by different program types. Family emergency shelters served more people, while single adult shelters served fewer The increase in the total count from 2019 to 2020 can be attributed in part to a slight increase in the number of families with children counted, and with the size of these families being larger on average compared to 2019. There were four more families counted in 2020. The average family size increased from 3.3 people per household in 2019 to 3.5 people per household in 2020, resulting in an increase of 30 more people in families in 2020. Likely due to the mild weather on the night of January 29, 2020, shelters for single individuals saw a decrease in the number of people served compared to the previous year (32 fewer people served in 2020 compared to 2019). Most of the decline was at the winter shelter, which served 25 fewer people in 2020 (108) compared to 2019 (133). TABLE 1: PIT Count by Shelter Type and Household Type, Change from 2019 to 2020 TOTAL CHANGE IN # OF PERSONS EMERGENCY TRANSITIONAL/ BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE, SHELTER SAFE HAVEN BRIDGE HOUSING UNSHELTERED 2019 TO 2020 People in families with children +39 0 -9 0 +30 People without children -32 +1 -1 +115 +83 Total Change 2019 to 2020 +7 +1 -10 +115 +113 by Shelter Type FIGURE 2: PIT Trends by Shelter Type, 2016 through 2020 n Emergency Shelter n Transitional/Bridge Housing n Unsheltered n Safe Haven 800 700 622 594 575 575 600 568 500 460 448 400 300 200 146 151 163 141 100 54 53 56 48 48 22 6 7 8 0 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 www.alleghenycountyanalytics.us | The Allegheny County Department of Human Services Basic Needs | Allegheny County 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Data | August 2020 page 5 Strategic initiative continues to decrease transitional housing capacity while increasing permanent housing options The decrease in the transitional housing population is the result of a strategic initiative implemented by the Allegheny County Homeless Advisory Board,3 which focused on increasing the county’s HUD-funded permanent housing capacity over the past five years. To that end, the Board reallocated funding from transitional housing programs to Rapid Re-Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing initiatives, which are both considered to be permanent housing. The remaining transitional housing in the region includes transitional housing funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and bridge housing funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2016, there were 769 Transitional Housing beds; by 2020, the number was reduced to 159 beds. The figure below illustrates the shift from Transitional Housing to Permanent Housing. FIGURE 3: Housing Capacity (Available Number of Beds) by Project Type, 2016 vs. 2020 n 2016 n 2020 2,033 Permanent Supportive Housing 2,252 244 Rapid Re-Housing 854 Transitional/ 769 Bridge Housing 159 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3 The Homeless Advisory Board is a public– private partnership formed to assist Allegheny County in reviewing public policy, programs, activities, data and all other efforts that will eliminate homelessness and improve the well-being of homeless people and families.