Help the DowntownDC BID take part in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The PIT count is conducted on a single night in January in cities across the country to assess the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless. The national snapshot data is then sent to HUD, which registers the information and includes it in their annual report to Congress on homelessness.
The DowntownDC BID on Jan. 29 will once again participate in this annual event, and is putting out a call for volunteers.
BID staff and volunteers will be asked to meet at the DowntownDC BID office at 1250 H Street NW, Suite 1000 at 9:00pm for a brief training session on how to fill out the HUD forms and conduct questionnaires. Then, individuals will head out to conduct the count. The count will take approximately 4 hours– from 10:00pm-2:00am– but could be prolonged due to variable conditions.
The day of the homeless count, the weather will likely be cold, so anyone interested in participating is asked to dress appropriately. Additionally, please be advised that metro service ends at midnight and many public garages close overnight. Ample street parking near the BID office can be expected. Please plan your transportation accordingly.
Feel free to bring a flashlight, but overall the downtown area is well-lit at night. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has been notified of the count and an officer will be available to respond quickly if there are any issues.
If you are interested in volunteering or have questions about the count, please contact David Riedman at DavidR@downtowndc.org or Blake Holub at blake@downtowndc.org.