Each year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires every Continuum of Care, more than four hundred nationwide, to conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness. 

The 2021 PIT count for the number of homeless people was severely impacted by COVID-19. In 2021, less than 60% of the Continuums of Care conducted PIT counts. In fact, almost the entire state of California (11.9% of the US population) did not conduct a count of their unsheltered homeless population.

In 2021, HUD stated that the number of people experiencing homelessness numbered about 326,000. That figure only included the sheltered homeless — those that temporarily stayed in hotels, safe havens, or homeless shelters. Compared to 2020, where 580,466 people were experiencing homelessness per night, the 2021 PIT count does not portray an accurate representation of the reality of homelessness.

The information on the following infographic is based on information of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment. You can find the full report here.