Teams of volunteers are set to fan out across the city on Tuesday  in an attempt to count Albuquerque’s homeless population. Armed with surveys, volunteers will canvass neighborhoods, alleys, parks, encampments and meal service sites. They’ll count those who are unsheltered and in emergency shelters, transitional housing projects or other facilities. 

The “point-in-time,” or PIT count, is headed up by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness (NMCEH).

Last year’s PIT tally of 2,394 homeless people in Albuquerque was the highest number in at least 12 years. And across the state the numbers grew by more than 50%—the largest increase in the country.

The count is important because it’s a requirement for federal funding and it gives homeless advocates and city leaders an idea of how programs and services are performing. The surveys also capture valuable demographic information to better understand the population, its challenges and needs.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires a biannual count for cities and communities that receive its grant funding for homelessness initiatives. In 2021, NMCEH elected to do the count every year.

“To get a better sense of how we’re doing and keep the issue in the public eye,” William Bowen, a continuum of care program officer for NMCEH, said. 

Bowen will organize about 150 volunteers this year, most from NMCEH member organizations. He’ll also author the 2024 PIT count report that is published months later, usually in the summer.

“It’s a large-scale outreach effort that’s an expectation and a tradition,” Bowen said. “It’s also an opportunity to reach out to the entire homeless community.”

Taken with a grain of salt

Bowen and others say that while the count is necessary and valuable, it’s not without a fair amount of limitations. The tally is affected by the number of volunteers, the location and time the surveys are taken, whether an individual agrees to take a survey, and weather conditions. An intense Albuquerque snowstorm during 2022’s PIT count sent the homeless population seeking cover, skewing the number who otherwise would have interfaced with volunteers. It’s for those reasons that NMCEH does the count annually.

“The count is very specific; it only counts people you can see, and certain categories of homelessness,” said Rachel Biggs, chief strategy officer for Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless. “It’s a snapshot. It can show trends and capture demographics, but not how long they experience homelessness for example.”

Biggs said that while the count provides essential information, it shouldn’t be considered a full picture of homelessness in the city. She said it doesn’t cover those who might be couch surfing or living in hotels, for example.

“Some studies say the number [of homeless] is two and a half to 10 times greater than the PIT count,” Biggs said.

Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless is a NMCEH member organization with staff who volunteer for the count.

“Everyone knows it’s imperfect and usually an undercount,” Katie Simon, spokesperson for the city’s Health, Housing & Homelessness, said. “It’s good to have any data, but the PIT count will always have an asterisk.”

If the count was done in the summer instead of the winter, she said, the homeless population would typically be outside and more visible. However, HUD requires that it be done in late January.

“It’s one of those things that you always have to kind of read into it a little bit. Never take the number totally at face value,” Simon said.

In addition to counting people, volunteers will also try to get an accurate tally of the number of beds in Albuquerque that are dedicated to the homeless within four categories: emergency shelters, transitional housing, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing.

Daunting numbers

HUD’s 2023 homelessness assessment report to the U.S. Congress, based on PIT count data, painted a bleak picture for the country and for New Mexico. Broken down into state-by-state data, the report said the number of homeless increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia between 2022 and 2023. 

New Mexico had the largest percentage increase of any state (57%) and was near the top in the percentage increase of youth experiencing homelessness (71%). New Mexico was also one of six states where more than half of all its veterans were unsheltered (55%). In addition, 50% of the state’s homeless exhibited chronic patterns – the highest percentage in the country.
The 2023 PIT count report is here. To read HUD’s 2023 report to Congress, click here.