Homelessness in Sacramento Point in Time Count. The Value and Call for Volunteers.

Jeff Holden: [00:00:00] Homelessness. It's one of the most pressing issues we have in our region. Has there been improvement over the past couple of years? Our fewer people experiencing homelessness? We're about to learn a little more on how these questions can be answered and their significance. Hi, I'm Jeff Holden, host of the Nonprofit Podcast Network, and this is a nonprofit news pod.

I'm speaking with Trent Simmons, chief Program Officer of Sacramento. Steps forward. Before we address the purpose of the News Pod, though, Trent, would you give us a little background on Sacramento Steps forward the organization itself? 

Trent Simmons: Yeah, I'd be happy to. So, Sacramento Steps Forward is a lead agency for addressing homelessness in Sacramento County.

But what that effectively means is that we are the collaborative applicant, which means that we apply for [00:01:00] federal funding on behalf of Sacramento County. We are also the designated HMIS lead and HMIS is of course the Homelessness Management Information System. And so we essentially manage the, the funding aspects of the system.

We apply for it, we try to set up our system to be more competitive for that funding, and then we track data on a day-to-day basis on who's actually engaging with homeless services, who they are, where are they being served, are we making any progress? So those are the really the two main hats that SSF wears.

But there's always other opportunities for us to get more involved as we continue to strengthen our partnerships and see natural spaces where those two responsibilities allow us to do more. 

Jeff Holden: So it's very significantly collaborative in that you're associated or at least connected to the activities of the many homeless organizations in the county.

Trent Simmons: Yeah, completely. And so every single entity who [00:02:00] receives federal funding is mandated to enter their data into our HMIS, our Homeless Management Information system. But we also have a stake in trying to get as many partners as possible to opt into using that database because the more comprehensive usage we have of HMIS, the more comprehensive insights we have on homelessness in our county.

So there's opportunities for us to partner and find ways in which those who are serving can enter data into the system. We try to build up their capacity to train them to make it as easy as possible because it is a complicated space. 

Jeff Holden: Well, I can certainly appreciate the input element because that gives us the idea of the impact and the value of the investment in that particular organization's service to what they're doing to provide and support homelessness.

Trent Simmons: And we look at it through a number of different angles. We have the pit count, our point in time count, which is a census that happens every other year. We can also use HMIS. [00:03:00] There are different types of data sources. They have different. Reasons why we use them, but ultimately we can get a sense for where things are in the state of homelessness in Sacramento through a number of different avenues.

Jeff Holden: You mentioned pit, pit count, PIT, point in time count, and that's really the purpose of this news pod because something significant is coming up that I'm gonna have you speak about. As one of the leading organizations working to alleviate homelessness, you also take the lead on what is called this point in time count.

What is that? What is point in time or pit count, as you mentioned, and the significance of it every two years? 

Trent Simmons: Yeah. The pit count is a federally mandated census of unhoused people That happens at least once every other year. I mean, ultimately the data gives Congress a sense of the state of homelessness across the country.

Then they use that data to better inform funding and policymaking at all levels. Locally, we can use that data [00:04:00] for funding allocations from the California state through, you know, very specific funding pools that they have intended to help communities serve people who are experiencing homelessness. And then it's also really helpful for local planning, understanding where we are making success, where we are having more bottlenecks, how can we can improve things, how can we better coordinate and collaborate?

And it helps on all of those levels. As far as our role, Sacramento, slip HO has been given or at least delegated the responsibility to plan, conduct and report on the pit. So those are really the three main events that happen that SSF coordinates just to repeat that plan, conduct, and report on the pit.

Ultimately, it takes months. We're trying to collect hundreds of volunteers to canvas the streets of Sacramento to survey people who are experiencing homelessness, and it takes a lot of coordination. With a lot of partners for months in advance of the pit count. So there's that work. And then once the pit count is finished, it's collecting all of the data.

It's cleaning all [00:05:00] of the data, putting in the format that HUD requires to report to them for their needs, but also putting it in a way that's digestible. For our community to understand what actually happened and what those, what the new data shows and tells us about the state of homelessness in Sacramento.

Jeff Holden: Knowing it's one of the biggest issues our nonprofits focus on in the community, it's important to understand the data because if we don't know specifically what's really happening, not only do we not know the impact, but we don't know how best to serve and to improve. The ability to get people into some semblance of a better place so they don't have to experience homelessness.

Trent Simmons: It's essential. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. 

Trent Simmons: And I think one of the things that I, I like to say is that, you know, the circumstances that ultimately lead somebody to be experiencing homelessness are incredibly diverse and varied. The circumstances leading somebody out of homelessness are just as varied and diverse and in a specific [00:06:00] solution, a shelter, a type of intervention.

May we work better for some than it would for others? And the more data that we have, the more that we can understand what's working and what isn't. And while also recognizing that all of these solutions that we have need to be individualized to the people that we're serving. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, and the nonprofits we speak with too, we hear that the dynamic of homelessness is shifting and it's important that we understand that literally over the course of the last few years.

So this, every other year count is gonna be significant as we look at what happens in 2026. So let's talk about what that looks like. How does this point in time count actually happen? And I understand it's every Jan or every other January toward the end of the month where you actually send out volunteers to the community.

Correct. 

Trent Simmons: That's right. 

Jeff Holden: Walk us through what that looks like. 

Trent Simmons: Yeah, so I think the most basic parameter for this is that HUD mandates that we have to have one count at least once every other year within the [00:07:00] last 10 days of January. They're very prescriptive with that, and via pit count itself can be spread out over the course of a number of days.

It kind of depends on the types of activities that you're doing. Every community approaches is slightly different. One of the things that I think is important to kind of keep in mind is that Sacramento's a little bit different than most other communities. Our county is 965 square miles, and so getting the number of people necessary to canvas every single square inch of that territory would is effectively impossible.

And so other very large communities like us ultimately have to do some sort of a sampling approach. Where we are identifying areas well in advance of the pit that have a high density of people who are experiencing homelessness, and we ensure to target and send people to visit and count those folks during the pit count.

And then we take a randomized sample of [00:08:00] areas that are lower density, that are less likely to have people that are experiencing homelessness. And then we roll that up into a total count at the very end of the process. 

Jeff Holden: There's a couple of specific dates. What are those dates again? In January? 

Trent Simmons: January 26th and 27th.

Jeff Holden: Okay. How many people are needed to be effective? You've got a lot of territory. 9 56 square miles plus high density, low density. What numbers does it look like in order of volunteers to get out into the job properly? 

Trent Simmons: If the more volunteers you have, the more opportunity you have. So for areas that we expect to have a very, very high density of people experiencing homelessness, we want to send more volunteers.

'cause it takes time. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Trent Simmons: To individually go and to talk to everybody, to survey, to ask questions, to learn more about their experiences. And so the more people that we have, the more we can send to areas that are expected to have high density or other areas that are just larger and we have more ground to cover.

And so if we have fewer [00:09:00] volunteers, then we have to be pretty nimble. And adjust our plan for deployment on the spot. So the more that we can get a sense for how many people are registering well in advance of the pit, the better. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Trent Simmons: But even then, people are always welcome to show up on the night of the pit, and we'll definitely have an opportunity for you to help even if you didn't register.

But registration helps us with planning back in 2024. Our last biennial count, we had around 600, and we're hoping to surpass that this year too. We have a goal for a thousand, but if we could have at least 600 registered. Within the next couple of weeks. That would be really helpful. 

Jeff Holden: Well, certainly the awareness and the need for an accurate count is out there, and I think maybe it's, people become more concerned about it.

You may see a greater engagement and willingness to step up and say, Hey, we can help. Let's figure out what this is. Gimme an idea of what it looks like for somebody who's a volunteer. What, what happens on the 26th and 27th when they show up? 

Trent Simmons: It's very busy. So we have [00:10:00] a single deployment center as close to the center of Sacramento proper as we can in the middle of Sacramento City, and we have all of our volunteers come to this location.

And so once folks are in their teams, they've got their supplies, in some cases, they have incentives to help people be surveyed. For as many people as that they talk to and have conversations with. We have gift cards to give out for meals, and so folks will then, with their teams, be deployed to the areas that we've assigned to them.

I mean, they essentially canvas the entire area that is either by car walking, it's kind of a combination of the two, depending on the layout of where we've assigned them with the intent to count. Absolutely. Everybody within that space who's experiencing homelessness. To the extent that they're able to, to actually sit down and have conversations and learn even better.

Jeff Holden: I was gonna ask, is there an opportunity to speak with the people that they're actually counting? 

Trent Simmons: The count that we actually have to report to HUD is a combination. [00:11:00] They don't just want to know how many people, they want to have a sense for demographics. They want to have a sense for, is this your first time experiencing homelessness or have you been chronically homeless for a number of years?

Like there's all of this other data that HUD mandates that we collect as part of the count. But every community has an opportunity to, as part of those conversations, ask additional questions and learn even more about the people that they talk to. And one of the things that I really like asking every time we do this count is what are the things that Sacramento could do to help you specifically?

And the solutions that we get, the opportunities that we hear is always incredibly enlightening. 

Jeff Holden: I can imagine. Is there. Any cause for concern. I'm thinking. Let's say somebody would really like to come out. They know that the account takes place in the evening. I'm sure you're with groups of people. How is the essence of their safety mandated or taken care of?

Trent Simmons: Yeah, so a part of it is to the [00:12:00] extent that folks would like to partner and group with those that they know, we highly recommend that they register together and show up as a group so we can essentially put them in the same team and deploy them as a group. There's also others who would prefer to just be assigned wherever they can, 'cause they just want to help.

Jeff Holden: Wonderful. 

Trent Simmons: And so your mileage varies quite a bit from person to person. In the lead up of the count, we always are in coordination with law enforcement to ensure that they're on standby in case there are any sort of concerns or issues that we need support addressing. We also have SSF staff that are completely on call during the count with a number of lines, and we are fielding phone calls and asking, answering questions.

Folks are asking of us throughout the entire account, so we try to have our basis covers in as many ways as possible. 

Jeff Holden: The real purpose of this conversation is to alert people that this opportunity exists, that it's taking place on January 26th and 27th. How to get them to you to register. What is it that they would need to do if [00:13:00] they're interested?

Trent Simmons: So it's pretty easy. So we have a website now through our vendor. So all you need to do is go to Sacramento dot point in time info, and from there you can register. Now the registration date does close in advance of the pick count, but I just wanna remind everybody that if you've missed the registration date, you're always more than welcome.

And in fact, highly encouraged to still show up on the night of the count. And trust me, we will find an opportunity for you to help. We will always have more to do. Like I said, it's a big area and the more support that we have during the night of the count, the better it turns out. 

Jeff Holden: And I would love to see us get to that thousand people, the thousand volunteers out canvassing that area because that's gonna give us the greatest return on understanding what's really taking place.

To your point earlier, you know, the more people, the more accurate, the more area that can be covered to identify anybody who is experiencing homelessness. And I really like the fact that you do get [00:14:00] to have conversations with them and share with them some ideas and hear some things and feedback from them as well.

Trent Simmons: I've, I've always really appreciated the, the chance that I get. Um, I usually am in the command center during the nights of the pit count, taking some of those phone calls, so I don't get as many opportunities on the nights of. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Trent Simmons: But there's as many times as I can to find chance to interact with and, and participate in the count and get that experience.

It changes perspectives. HUD really, when they talk about the reasoning for doing the pick count. They tend to emphasize that it is a community engagement exercise in addition to the mandated reporting they have for Congress and everything else. So if you want to know as a sacrament, if you want to know what your community is doing and who your unhoused neighbors are, come and see.

That's the invitation. 

Jeff Holden: And what did you say was the, the deadline for registration? 

Trent Simmons: The deadline itself is the 16th of January, but 

Jeff Holden: obviously 

Trent Simmons: if you miss 

Jeff Holden: welcome. 

Trent Simmons: Still show up. 

Jeff Holden: Like I said, we'll have that in the show notes so people can [00:15:00] just go out and click and, and register through, through their app, however they're listening or, or watching the episode, let's support this effort and get to that 1000 volunteer number sooner than later.

An accurate accountant gauge of our homeless situation is so absolutely critical in so many ways. Trent Simmons. Thank you very much. Thank you for what Sacramento Steps forward does, and I am really looking forward to the outcome of what happens after this point in time count. I'm sure a lot of people are.

Trent Simmons: Thank you. I'm similarly, very excited to see the outcome and, and frankly to work with everybody who's willing to come out and participate with us. I looking forward to getting to know you and to working as a team to help resolve homelessness. So thank you. 

Jeff Holden: This has been a nonprofit podcast network news pod.

Thanks for listening.