The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual assessment of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness at one moment in time. Each year, data compiled during the PIT count are analyzed and help to inform areas of need and the allocation of resources for housing and services. The City finds the data gathered annually are essential in demonstrating the need for federal funding, services and resource planning, and to raise public awareness about homelessness.

PIT counts are required to be conducted every two years by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and in 2013, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) implemented yearly counts for the City of Chicago. Over 230 volunteers, including City employees and homeless shelter providers, canvass the city in a span of a few hours over the evening.