Montgomery County Seeks Volunteers for Jan. 28 ‘Point-in-Time’ Homeless Count to Help Address Homelessness

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 16, 2026

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is recruiting volunteers to assist with the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count, which will take place during the overnight hours of Wednesday, Jan. 28. The PIT count is conducted to identify unsheltered individuals and families and to help direct resources and services to those in need.

The effort is organized by the Montgomery County Continuum of Care, the County's local planning body that coordinates housing, services, and funding for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, in partnership with DHHS and local community service providers.

Volunteers will receive training, be organized in teams, and be deployed to designated locations where unsheltered individuals may be found. Training will fully prepare volunteers to engage respectfully with people experiencing homelessness and to accurately administer the survey.

The PIT count is conducted annually across the United States to identify people who may be living on the streets, in vehicles, encampments, under bridges, or in other places not meant for habitation.

The data collected is used at the local, State, and Federal levels to allocate funding and resources for individuals and households requiring assistance. Completion of the annual count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to qualify for federal funding.

"We cannot solve what we do not measure, and the Point-in-Time count is a vital tool in our mission to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "By volunteering for this count, you are doing more than collecting data; you are helping us identify our most vulnerable neighbors so we can connect them with the permanent housing and supportive services they deserve. I encourage residents to join this effort to ensure every person in Montgomery County is seen and supported."

Volunteer training and deployment will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the following two locations:

• Gaithersburg: Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Conference Room A.
• Silver Spring: Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Great Hall.

Interested residents must register to volunteer by Friday, Jan. 23.

For questions regarding the PIT Count, please email [email protected].

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