PIT Count Reflection: Seeing and Serving Our Unhoused Neighbors
Each year, communities across the country participate in the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, a nationwide effort to document the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. The information gathered is essential for understanding the scope of homelessness in our area and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to address it. Conducting this count requires dedication, coordination, and compassion—qualities that were fully on display during this year's PIT Count in Huntington.
On January 29, before the sun even hinted at rising, a dedicated group of volunteers and outreach workers assembled, ready to canvas the city. Erin Dalton, Outreach Organizer at SPECO, was among them. Reflecting on the experience, she shared, “In recent years I’ve found myself as a morning person, but rare is the 4:30 a.m. person, yet there was a room full of us that morning. People from all organizations and walks of life gathered together so we can get better info about our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Photos from this blog were taken by SPECO volunteers and from the Harmony House Facebook Page.
As Erin and her team, which included Sequoia and Carrie Ware, and Jared Stevens, set out to cover Huntington’s West End for the second consecutive year, she was struck once again by the strength of the community. Huntington has faced its share of hardships, and yet, its resilience is evident in the way people come together to uplift those in need. “I stay in awe of our community and try to remember, especially in these uncertain times, that its strength is because of the tragedies we’ve faced here in Huntington. We don’t really get to have one without the other.”
The process of conducting the PIT Count is structured and data-driven, yet it is an emotional experience. Volunteers ask a set list of questions—about where people sleep, their health conditions, and their history of homelessness. While Erin frequently engages with unhoused individuals in her role, this particular day felt different. “My job allows me to speak with people living unsheltered on a regular basis, but PIT Count day is different; it feels more detached,” she explained. “Asking questions from a sheet makes it a different day. It’s important, but it’s definitely not warm and fuzzy.”
When Erin returned home after hours of outreach, she found herself overcome with emotion. “I cried for an hour,” she admitted. “What is typically the hardest day of the year for me is just another day for the people that I spent the morning talking to.”
This annual effort sheds light on the ongoing struggle of those experiencing homelessness, but more importantly, it serves as a call to action. Data from previous counts, available through HUD, provides a measurable snapshot of homelessness, helping guide policy and service improvements. Yet numbers alone cannot fully convey the human stories behind them.
At SPECO, we believe in seeing people as people—acknowledging their dignity and advocating for solutions that go beyond a single night of data collection. Erin’s words capture this mission: “I am proud to be a leader in what is an unfortunate and continual fight to ensure that all people are seen as people and treated with the dignity and respect deserving of them.”
The PIT Count is just one step in the broader effort to address homelessness. If you feel compelled to make a difference, consider volunteering, donating, or advocating for policies that support housing stability. Let this reflection serve not as an end, but as a beginning—a reminder that while one night of counting may pass, the need for action remains every day of the year.
