2025 Self-Calculating PIT Tool Instructions

Using the 2025 Self-Calculating Point-in-Time Excel Workbook

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on utilizing the 2025 Self-Calculating PIT Excel Workbook. This workbook is available for use by non-HMIS providers to calculate their PIT totals and provide them to SLO County HMIS for inclusion in the PIT.

The information reported should reflect the clients enrolled in the project on the night of the Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 1/28/25. This guide includes instructions on how to export and submit the numbers on the PIT Count tab once the client-level data has been entered.

Tabs of the Excel Workbook

The workbook has two tabs. Each of the tabs is described briefly below.

Client-Level Data

This tab is where you will enter all of the client-level data into the workbook in order to generate your PIT information. Detailed instructions on how to complete this tab are available below. ‘Alerts’ have been added to help you identify potential errors. The alerts which may appear are described for each column below.

PIT Count

This tab provides the totals for your project once the Client-Level Data tab has been fully completed. You will enter your project information at the top of this tab, but you will not enter any data directly into this tab - you will just review it and submit it to SLO County HMIS. Instructions on exporting and submitting this tab are provided at the end of this guide.

Completing the Client-Level Data Tab

For each client served by your project on the night of the count, you will need to complete an individual row. The workbook will then utilize the information in each row to calculate the totals. Each of the columns is explained in detail below.

Client Identifier

In this field, you will enter an identifier for the client. This may be an ID number utilized by another system you have or an identifier of some sort you create solely for the purpose of the 2024 Sheltered PIT. Each client ID number must be unique. For example, 1, 2, 3 or 100, 101, 102 as long as each is different. Regardless of how the identifier is developed, you must be able to identify which client goes with the ID number in the event that there are questions from Baltimore County HMIS about potentially invalid or incorrect information.

Household ID

In this field, you will enter an ID number for the household. This may be an ID number utilized by another system you have or one you create solely for the purpose of the 2025 Sheltered PIT. The Household ID must be a number that you have assigned to the entire household. It is vitallyimportant that all household membershave the exact same ID. You can, if you wish, use the primary client's identifier as the household ID number, but this is not a requirement.

Household Type

Using this dropdown, select the appropriate household type for this individual. All persons, even if they are single individuals, must have a household type selected from the dropdown. The table below provides definitions for the three household type options.

Age

In this field, enter the age of the individual client as of the night of the PIT count. If the client prefers not to provide their age, you will need to enter an age based upon the client's appearance for the workbook to operate properly.

Gender

Using this dropdown, select the appropriate gender identity for the individual. If the client identifies with more than one of the options available(e.g., "Woman (Girl, if child)", "Man (Boy, if child)"), select "More Than One Gender". If the client does not identify with any of the options available or prefers not to provide an answer, you can utilize "Not Answered”.

Race & Ethnicity

This is a drop downfield where you will select the appropriate race and/or ethnicity for the individual. If the client does not identify with any of the options available or prefers not to provide an answer, you can utilize "Not Answered." Please note that if the client identifies with more than one race listed, there is an option for "Multi-Racial & Hispanic/Latina/e/o" or "Multi-Racial (not Hispanic/Latina/e/o)" which can be selected.

Chronic Status (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the client meets the chronic definition. In the event a client prefers not to provide sufficient information to determine whether the client is chronic, enter "No" in this column.

Chronic Definition: A chronically homeless person… 

• Is homeless and lives in a place not meant for habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter; and
•  Has been homeless and living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least 1 year or on at least four separate occasions in the last 3 years where the combined length of time homeless in those occasions is at least 12 months;

and    

• Has a disability

Veteran? (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the client has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. Clients who were in the U.S. Armed Forces but did not spend any time on active duty should be marked "No." If a client prefers not to answer the question, mark “No”.

Parenting Youth? (Y/N)

Using this drop down, you will indicate whether the individual is under the age of 25 and is accompanied by one of their children.

Child of Parenting Youth? (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether this individual is a child of another household member who is under the age of 25.

Unaccompanied Youth? (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is under the age of 25 and is not accompanied by any other individuals.

Adult with a Serious Mental Illness (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is an adult with a serious mental illness. For children, this field can be left blank; any answers in these fields for children will be ignored. This field will be shaded pink if the client's age is 18 or over; the pink will disappear when the field is completed.

Adult with a Substance Use Disorder (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is an adult with a substance use disorder. For children, this field can be left blank; any answers in these fields for children will be ignored.

This field will be shaded pink if the client's age is 18 or over; the pink will disappear when the field is completed.

Adult with HIV/AIDS (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is an adult with HIV/AIDS. For children, this field can be left blank; any answers in these fields for children will be ignored.

This field will be shaded pink if the client's age is 18 or over; the pink will disappear when the field is completed.

Fleeing Domestic Violence (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is an adult who is currently fleeing domestic violence. For children, this field can be left blank; any answers in these fields for children will be ignored.

This field will be shaded pink if the client's age is 18 or over; the pink will disappear when the field is completed.

Reviewing the PIT Count Tab

First, fill in the yellow cells with your agency name - project name - project type- CoC. This will aid SLO County HMIS in aggregating your data with other projects.

For each of the sections of the PIT Count tab, review the number of households and the number of persons to ensure the number matches the number of clients your project served on the night of the count. If the total number of persons and households do not add up to the number of persons and households you served on the night of the count, there may be a mistake in the data entered into the Client Level Data tab.

Sending the data

Please send completed file to HMIS Support - SS_HMISSupport@co.slo.ca.us via an encrypted email.