By Fox23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Starting on Thursday, A Way Home for Tulsa will be conducting the 2026 Point-in-Time Count (PIT), and will go on until January 23.
The PIT Count, coordinated by Housing Solutions, is the annual effort to gain data on people and families experiencing homelessness in Tulsa.
The count is mandated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and is usually scheduled during the last 10 days of January to coincide with the coldest weather of the year.
The shelter count reflects where individuals and families stayed on the night of January 22. The unsheltered count will begin early on January 23 with outreach teams surveying people experiencing homelessness about where they slept the previous night.
Last year’s count identified 1,449 people experiencing homelessness across Tulsa County.
Outreach teams, service providers, and volunteers will do the count coordinating with shelters and community partners. Teams will simultaneously connect people experiencing homelessness to shelters, warming options, and transportation.
“The timing of the PIT Count during the coldest part of winter isn’t coincidental; it’s strategic,” said Mark Smith, CEO of Housing Solutions. “This is when people are most likely to seek shelter, allowing us to get the most accurate count possible. Our teams will be out conducting surveys while also making sure people know about available shelter options and transportation assistance.”
A Way Home for Tulsa says their mission is to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
“The PIT Count is more than data collection—it’s an opportunity to reach our neighbors when they need us most,” said Noe Rodriguez, Chair of A Way Home for Tulsa. “Even in challenging weather conditions, our community is mobilizing to ensure we understand the true scope of homelessness in Tulsa while connecting people to immediate safety and support.”
A Way Home for Tulsa says some of the key takeaways from last year’s PIT count included increasing reports of mental health challengers among people experiencing homelessness, expanded shelter capacity contributing to fewer people experiencing homelessness without shelter, and the primary need of access to housing.
For more information on last year’s PIT count, click here.
