The Homeless Leadership Coalition released its Central Oregon 2024 Point in Time Count, the annual count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.
Members of the Coordinated Houseless Response Office met on April 25 to discuss the data and how it helps providers serve and offer resources to houseless individuals.
“It’s not a magical number but it’s the best that we have,” said Bend City Councilor Megan Perkins at the meeting.
In 2024, the total number of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals was 1,799 in the region, which includes Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. This number is a slight increase from 2023, which counted 1,647 people.
The number of unsheltered individuals in the region was 1,195 in 2024 and 1,189 in 2023. CHRO members noted that an increase in services and facilities resulted in more sheltered individuals this year, increasing the total from 458 in 2023 to 616 in 2024. Individuals in shelters are still included in the PIT count as they are not in permanent housing.
Additionally, the overall number of houseless individuals in Deschutes County, which was 1,432 in 2024, slightly decreased from the 2023 total of 1,467.
This data helps providers better understand the population but is not a complete survey. Ben Scott, the unhoused services data coordinator with NeighborImpact, who presented the data at the CHRO meeting, noted that there are still barriers and challenges with the PIT Count.
For example, a large portion of the population did not answer every question providers asked in the count.
Aside from the fact that more specific questions were located further down in the survey, some choose not to take part the PIT count, while others may have not been included, since the count usually takes place during working hours, Scott explained.
Other factors that alter results include the number of service providers and the resources dedicated to collecting data in different counties. This year, for example, the count showed an increase in unsheltered individuals in Crook County. Members of the CHRO attributed this change to an increase in resources and staff counting individuals this year.
Members of the Coordinated Houseless Response Office met on April 25 to discuss the data and how it helps providers serve and offer resources to houseless individuals.
“It’s not a magical number but it’s the best that we have,” said Bend City Councilor Megan Perkins at the meeting.
In 2024, the total number of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals was 1,799 in the region, which includes Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. This number is a slight increase from 2023, which counted 1,647 people.
The number of unsheltered individuals in the region was 1,195 in 2024 and 1,189 in 2023. CHRO members noted that an increase in services and facilities resulted in more sheltered individuals this year, increasing the total from 458 in 2023 to 616 in 2024. Individuals in shelters are still included in the PIT count as they are not in permanent housing.
Additionally, the overall number of houseless individuals in Deschutes County, which was 1,432 in 2024, slightly decreased from the 2023 total of 1,467.
This data helps providers better understand the population but is not a complete survey. Ben Scott, the unhoused services data coordinator with NeighborImpact, who presented the data at the CHRO meeting, noted that there are still barriers and challenges with the PIT Count.
For example, a large portion of the population did not answer every question providers asked in the count.
Aside from the fact that more specific questions were located further down in the survey, some choose not to take part the PIT count, while others may have not been included, since the count usually takes place during working hours, Scott explained.
Other factors that alter results include the number of service providers and the resources dedicated to collecting data in different counties. This year, for example, the count showed an increase in unsheltered individuals in Crook County. Members of the CHRO attributed this change to an increase in resources and staff counting individuals this year.
While the PIT Count can give agencies and regions data and insight about the population, it doesn’t provide the full picture. An additional process, the Coordinated Entry System, allows service providers to gain more comprehensive information about the unhoused community.
In order to match clients to resources, there needs to be some level of assessment, according to Scott. Instead of having an individual repeatedly answer an assortment of questions every time they see a new provider or enter a new facility, the CES attempts to limit that to one instance.
The assessment, which captures an individual’s state, vulnerability and needs, is entered into the system that each provider can access, improving communication and coordination between community partners and housing projects.
Once an individual has been assessed they are then put on a prioritization list and can be referred to resources or housing that best match their needs.
According to Scott, the system still has challenges with data quality, staff capacity and resources. One major problem he noted at the April 25 meeting was that the system often stops at the priority list. This, he said, is due to a shortage of housing resources to help people.
While the PIT count and the CES are not fully accurate or comprehensive, they give agencies and providers a better idea of how many individuals need resources in the area and can better match those resources to the clients.
“The hope of all of this is to improve our outcomes,” said Scott. “If we are linking clients to appropriate resources, then ideally our outcomes will be better as well.”
In order to match clients to resources, there needs to be some level of assessment, according to Scott. Instead of having an individual repeatedly answer an assortment of questions every time they see a new provider or enter a new facility, the CES attempts to limit that to one instance.
The assessment, which captures an individual’s state, vulnerability and needs, is entered into the system that each provider can access, improving communication and coordination between community partners and housing projects.
Once an individual has been assessed they are then put on a prioritization list and can be referred to resources or housing that best match their needs.
According to Scott, the system still has challenges with data quality, staff capacity and resources. One major problem he noted at the April 25 meeting was that the system often stops at the priority list. This, he said, is due to a shortage of housing resources to help people.
While the PIT count and the CES are not fully accurate or comprehensive, they give agencies and providers a better idea of how many individuals need resources in the area and can better match those resources to the clients.
“The hope of all of this is to improve our outcomes,” said Scott. “If we are linking clients to appropriate resources, then ideally our outcomes will be better as well.”
