LICH Counts the Unhoused and Unsheltered of Long Island

On January 27th, The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless held the annual Point in Time count for NY region 603, covering all of Nassau and Suffolk counties. This yearly initiative is set forth by The Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is intended to obtain a snapshot of what homelessness looks like in each region on any given night. The data collected from the PIT count allows local agencies and government to obtain a better understanding of homelessness in their communities to best plan on how to address this crucial issue and plan accordingly. This data is then submitted to HUD to calculate national levels of homelessness across the country.

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless began planning for the PIT Count in October 2024, by recruiting volunteers to go out and canvass areas, as well as establish partnerships with various local agencies and service providers to act as host sites. 200 volunteers, spread across 43 teams, headed out across Long Island from 6:00 A.M. through midnight to meet people in our community who are experiencing street homelessness. Our volunteers had the chance to meet unhoused folks and hear each of their unique stories. The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is committed to serving homeless Long Islanders, with the goal of ending homelessness on Long Island, and we are very grateful for the help of our volunteers, donors, and staff who helped make the January 2025 PIT Count successful. Read more about PIT Count coverage in Newsday.