Rural Nevada Continuum of Care announces Annual Point In Time Count to address homelessness

The Rural Nevada CoC is working with Winged Wolf Innovations to gain as accurate a count as possible for the 2024 Point In Time Count.

Courtesy of Lyon County

The Rural Nevada Continuum of Care (RNCoC) is gearing up for its annual Point In Time Count, scheduled to start on the evening of January 24, 2024, and extend into the day on January 25, 2024. Covering the 15 counties in Nevada that make up the Balance of State CoC.

Winged Wolf Innovations, the newly appointed RNCoC coordinator, is taking the lead in organizing this year's count. Local Government Health and Human Services agencies, alongside homeless service providers, First Responders and volunteers will actively participate in conducting the count. The collected data will be analyzed and reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The main objective of this year's Point In Time Count is to obtain the most accurate count possible, with a larger canvas than in previous years. Winged Wolf Innovations, in its new role, is dedicated to establishing a new baseline to understand the current status of homelessness in Rural Nevada.

"All homeless service providers in the Rural Nevada CoC are crucial participants in ensuring the success and accuracy of this count," said Michele Fuller-Hallauer, Chief Strategist at Winged Wolf Innovations.

The focus of the count includes surveying all clients considered unsheltered, as well as those in Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing. Demographic information, including age, gender, and race, along with the length of time the client has been homeless and ailing conditions, will be collected primarily using the Counting US app from SimTech.

The annual Point In Time count provides the necessary data required for the RNCoC to receive a multitude of federal grants for homeless programs. The RNCoC received more than $818 thousand from these grants during the few years.  The Point In Time count also provides key data indicating the need for such programs and provides a benchmark to measure success.

Despite potential challenges posed by current weather conditions, the RNCoC is addressing them on a case-by-case basis to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved.

Winged Wolf Innovations emphasizes the significance of community involvement, encouraging individuals to reach out to their county lead or a local homeless service agency to inquire about volunteering opportunities for the Point In Time Count.