2020 Point-in-Time Count

Understanding the 2020 Point-in-Time Count

The Point-in-Time Count is a federally mandated survey conducted annually that seeks to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness on any given night in Baltimore City. The PIT Count takes place over two nights in January and includes people staying in emergency shelters, in transitional housing, and experiencing unsheltered homelessness. In 2020, the count found that 2,193 people are experiencing homelessness in Baltimore on any given night.

As our City engages with the national reckoning on racial inequity and faces an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, PIT Count data paints a bigger picture. The 2020 PIT Count Report shows that in Baltimore, state and federal disinvestment, systemic racism, and chronic poverty combine to put safe, stable housing out of reach for many.

As a result, homelessness occurs in Baltimore at much higher rates than elsewhere in Maryland, particularly for youth, and people experiencing homelessness in Baltimore are disproportionately Black. With unemployment and unaffordable housing as the most common causes of homelessness in Baltimore pre-pandemic, we can expect homelessness to increase as a result of COVID-19. 

MOHS is committed to preventing and ending homeless in Baltimore, and data from the PIT Count provides crucial insights into how we can target our efforts.  To learn more about our work, please read about our Action Plan on Homelessness and Click here to view additional resources available for those in need of help.