Call for Volunteers for Atlanta’s 2026 Point in Time Count of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
Annually, cities across the country capture their populations of individuals experiencing homelessness through Point-in-Time (PIT) Counts. The City of Atlanta will conduct its annual PIT Count overnight on Monday, January 26, 2026. Partners for HOME is seeking volunteers to help with this massive effort.
The PIT Count consists of two parts: the Night Count and the Day Site Count. The Night Count is the larger of the two and takes place from around 7 p.m. on January 26 through about 3 a.m. on January 27. Volunteers meet at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church before dividing up to spread out across the City. Typically, a few hundred volunteers work across 243 Atlanta neighborhoods.
As a supplemental count, the Day Site Counts occur over the next week, from January 27 through February 2. Volunteer slots are for smaller timeframes at specific service centers across the City. This approach aims to capture any individuals that may not have been counted during the Night Count.
While volunteers do not need any specific training, they must be 18 years or older.
Head to Partners for HOME’s website if you’re interested in volunteering for Atlanta’s PIT Count!
What do volunteers do during the Point-in-Time Count?
The Point-in-Time Count involves volunteers canvassing neighborhoods and engaging directly with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including those living unsheltered and those staying in temporary shelters. Identifiable by reflective vests and matching “Point-in-Time Count” t-shirts, volunteers approach people in public spaces and introduce themselves. After a brief conversation, they administer a short survey covering topics such as basic demographics, veteran status, and the onset and duration of homelessness. For families, each member is asked the same questions. While the survey includes required PIT questions, communities may add locally tailored questions each year to meet specific data needs.
In addition to gathering information, volunteers distribute care packages with essential items like warm clothing, hygiene supplies, and food. Volunteers often work alongside nonprofit partners and street outreach teams who already have established relationships with many of the individuals being counted, helping create a sense of familiarity and trust during nighttime outreach efforts.
Why conduct the Point-in-Time Count?
The PIT Count gathers essential insights to guide interventions, improve policies, and provide local information needed to apply for funding opportunities through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Key findings from the 2025 Point in Time Count
In 2025, 2,894 persons in the City of Atlanta were counted as sheltered or unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness. The following positive numbers were reported by Partners for HOME in 2025:
- 736 individuals (19%) met HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness
- 9% decrease in chronic homelessness
- 3% decrease in veteran homelessness
- 25% decrease in adults with serious mental illness
- 30% decrease in substance use disorders
- 17% decrease in HIV/AIDS
In the 2025 Atlanta Point-in-Time Count, Partners for HOME reported:
After years of pandemic-driven fluctuation, homelessness in Atlanta is beginning to stabilize. The 2025 PIT Count, which was conducted the night of January 27 with additional surveying the week following, recorded a 1% overall increase from 2024, indicating a potential plateau.
Chronic homelessness fell 9% due to an ongoing focus on rehousing the most vulnerable individuals in permanent supportive housing (PSH) — a housing intervention that pairs long-term leasing/rental assistance with supportive services like mental health services, employment assistance and ongoing case management. [Note: 3Keys prioritizes housing and care for those considered “chronic and vulnerable populations.”]
Additionally, youth and veteran homelessness declined 6% and 3%, respectively, due to tailored solutions for each subpopulation. These results highlight the success of housing programs and support services facilitated by Partners for HOME and the Atlanta Continuum of Care (CoC).
We are at a critical inflection point — on the cusp of decreasing homelessness in Atlanta.
With a continued focus on rehousing at pace and scale, preventative programs to reduce the inflow and ongoing support across community stakeholders, we will reach our goal of making homelessness in Atlanta rare, brief and nonrecurring.
Each year, Partners for HOME produces a detailed report. Click here to check out Point in Time Count reports from previous years.
Who manages the PIT Count?
The PIT Count in metro Atlanta area is managed by different cities and counties across the wide geography. In the City of Atlanta, Partners for HOME directs the Point-in-Time Count as the primary administrator for the Atlanta Continuum of Care, a program of HUD. Separate PIT counts are held by Fulton and DeKalb counties in areas outside City of Atlanta.
Many partner organizations collaborate with Partners for HOME, including:
- Local and federal agencies such as HUD, CDC, Atlanta Police
- Department and the Atlanta Government, including the Mayor’s office
- Healthcare organizations including Mercy Care and Grady
- Business Partnerships including The Home Depot Foundation
- Continuum of Care providers (such as 3Keys)
To volunteer or read more about Atlanta’s Point-in-Time Count, visit Partners for HOME’s website.