Media Resource: 5 Myths about PIT Counts








February 11, 2014    
ISSUES  |  POLICY  |  SOLUTIONS  |  NEWS & EVENTS Forward Editor: Emanuel Cavallaro


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Alliance Releases Media Resource: 5 Myths about PIT Counts


Are you releasing your Point-in-Time (PIT) Count numbers soon? We at the Alliance have noticed a number of inaccuracies in stories in the media having to do with the PIT Count estimates of homeless populations and we have noted five points in particular on which journalists may sometimes want clarification. The Alliance's Homeless Research Institute has put together a media resource, "5 Myths about PIT Counts" to help journalists. We encourage you to provide it to journalists when you announce the 2014 PIT Count estimate for your community.





President's Budget Proposal to be Released in Two Parts, Debt Limit Deadline Announced
Last Wednesday, February 5, the Administration announced that the President's fiscal year (FY) FY 2015 budget proposal will be released in two parts. Topline figures are expected to be released on Tuesday, March 4, while programmatic details are expected to be released on Tuesday, March 11.
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew recently announced that the Treasury Department expects to exhaust the extraordinary measures currently being used to avert exceeding the debt limit on Thursday, February 27. The House plans to vote tonight on a 'clean' debt limit increase. The clean debt limit increase is expected to pass through both chambers.
Senate and House Budget Committees Hold Hearings
Last Tuesday, February 4, the Senate held a hearing titled "The 2014 Outlook: Moving from Constant Crises to Broad-Based Growth." During the hearing Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics; Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; and David Rosenberg, chief economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff and Associates, Inc, discussed the budget outlook for 2014.
Topics included:
  • Restoring some normality to the appropriations process;
  • A slowing of productivity and labor force growth rates;
  • An expectation for overall economic growth despite barriers such as forces driving inequality;
  • And the detrimental effects of inadequate spending levels on non-defense discretionary programs.
For more information, visit the Senate Budget Committee website.
Last Wednesday, February 5, the House Budget Committee similarly held a hearing on the budget and the current economic outlook. During the hearing, David W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, provided an overview of the Congressional Budget Office's economic forecast and budget projections from 2014 to 2024. He explained that the economy is expected to grow at a solid pace over the next few years, and then slow due to long-term trends (e.g. an increased aging population). He emphasized that the growing federal debt is a point for concern.
For more information, visit the Congressional Budget Office website.
Congress to Depart for President's Day Recess
This Thursday, February 13, the House will depart for recess so that House Democrats can hold an issues retreat. Both chambers of Congress will be on recess for the President's Day holiday next week. The Senate is expected to return on Monday, February 24, while the House is expected to return Tuesday, February 25.

With the administration's goal of ending veteran homelessness by the end of 2015 fast approaching, some cities are racing to the finish line. In this post, we look at the latest announcements from cities competing to see who can end veteran homelessness next.
545 Families in Virginia Now Have Homes
By Kay Moshier McDivitt
January 24 marked the end of the 100 Day Housing Challenge in which 31 Virginia organizations, working with the Alliance, vowed to increased their efforts to move as many families as possible from homelessness to homes. They housed 545 families. In this post, we look at how they did it.
How is Memphis Doing in the Fight to End Homelessness?
By Sam Batko
In this post, we take a look at the first Community Snapshot in the Homelessness Research Institute's revamped Community Snapshot series. The first community to be featured is Memphis-Shelby County, Tenn.
Judging by early developments in 2014, those of us who are working to end chronic homelessness have reason to be optimistic. In this post, we discuss two promising developments and note the challenges advocates have ahead of them.
Check Out This Game That Shows How a Homeless Assistance System Works
By Anna Blasco
It is one thing to hear something is effective, but sometimes you need to see something to believe it. That is why in this post we are reintroducing our Homeless System Simulation Game, which simulates how a homelessness assistance system works. For those of you joining us in New Orleans for our Conference, we will be playing the Homeless System Simulation Game on Monday, February 17.

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