BACK TO YOU. THANKS, TAMARA. WELL, HAPPENING TONIGHT, VOLUNTEERS ARE GOING TO DEPLOY ACROSS SACRAMENTO TO TALLY THE HOMELESS POPULATION. THE POINT IN TIME COUNT HAS STEEP FUNDING IMPLICATIONS THAT CAN VERY MUCH AFFECT THE CITY. LET’S GO OVER TO KCRA 3’S ERIN HEFT, WHO JOINS US LIVE FROM WHERE THAT GROUP WILL BE MEETING AHEAD OF THE EFFORT. GOOD MORNING. AND THIS IS BASICALLY A SNAPSHOT POINT IN TIME COUNT OR PIT COUNT REALLY GIVES A BRIEF UNDERSTANDING AS TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ACROSS SACRAMENTO. AND LET ME GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE. SO THIS VIDEO WAS SHOT DURING THIS PIT COUNT BACK IN 2024. THE EFFORT IS AIMED AT UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO EITHER LIVE OUTDOORS OR IN A PLACE NOT MEANT FOR HUMAN HABITATION, AND THE RESULTS ARE PRETTY HEAVY HANDED, WITH RAMIFICATIONS AS THOSE NUMBERS BECOME A REPORT FOR BOTH THE COMMUNITY ITSELF AND HUD, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE DATA HELPS IN EVALUATING NEED PROGRESS AS WELL AS GAPS IN THIS DATA DIRECTLY IMPACTS FUNDING. WITH THAT SAID, THE PIT COUNT HAS BEEN CRITICIZED OVER THE YEARS FOR HOW BRIEF IT TRULY IS AND THE FACT THAT IT’S HELD IN THE DEAD OF WINTER. BUT IT’S STILL A PART OF A NATIONWIDE EFFORT BY HUD TO UNDERSTAND, NEED AND DEPLOY APPROPRIATE FUNDING. BACK OUT HERE. LIVE IN SACRAMENTO, FOR INSTANCE, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN SACRAMENTO, IT WAS APPROVED FOR 40. WELL, JUST ABOVE $40 MILLION, $35 MILLION OF WHICH WENT TO PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED IN SACRAMENTO, ERIN HEFT KCRA THREE NEWS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AN
Volunteers prepare for annual Sacramento PIT Count, tallying number of unhoused
The count has faced criticism over the years for its limited timeframe and for taking place during the winter, when conditions can affect where people stay and how visible homelessness is.
Updated: 11:24 AM PST Jan 26, 2026
Volunteers on Monday are set to take an annual tally of the number of unhoused people living in Sacramento, an effort with major implications for local and federal homelessness funding.Known as the Point-In-Time Count, the census counts the number of homeless people, particularly those living outdoors or in places not meant for human habitation. The PIT Count results are compiled into a report for the community and for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), helping officials evaluate need, measure progress, identify gaps, and determine how resources should be allocated.The count has faced criticism over the years for its limited timeframe and for taking place during the winter, when conditions can affect where people stay and how visible homelessness is. Still, it remains part of a nationwide HUD effort to better understand homelessness and direct funding accordingly.In Sacramento County, PIT Count data helped support more than $40 million in funding in 2024, including $35 million for permanent housing programs.The count begins Monday, with data collection continuing for two nights.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Volunteers on Monday are set to take an annual tally of the number of unhoused people living in Sacramento, an effort with major implications for local and federal homelessness funding.
Known as the Point-In-Time Count, the census counts the number of homeless people, particularly those living outdoors or in places not meant for human habitation. The PIT Count results are compiled into a report for the community and for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), helping officials evaluate need, measure progress, identify gaps, and determine how resources should be allocated.
The count has faced criticism over the years for its limited timeframe and for taking place during the winter, when conditions can affect where people stay and how visible homelessness is. Still, it remains part of a nationwide HUD effort to better understand homelessness and direct funding accordingly.
In Sacramento County, PIT Count data helped support more than $40 million in funding in 2024, including $35 million for permanent housing programs.
The count begins Monday, with data collection continuing for two nights.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel