Nashville’s 2020 Point-In-Time count found 2,016 people experiencing homelessness. The count took place on the evening of Jan. 23 and into the early morning hours of Jan. 24.
This count is required by the national Department of Housing and Urban Development for communities across the country. In Nashville, it was led by Nashville’s Metro Development and Housing Agency in partnership with the Metro Homeless Impact Division and the Homelessness Planning Council.
Seventy-one percent of those counted were staying in shelters and 28.9 percent were living unsheltered. This represents a 15 percent decrease in overall homelessness since 2016, but a 1.5 percent increase since 2019’s count. Thirty more people were counted this year than last.
The PIT count also found that 73 percent of the people counted that night were men, as compared to 48 percent of the general Nashville population being men. Forty-five percent of those counted were African American, as compared to 28 percent of the population.
Additionally, 82 percent of people who were unsheltered cited lack of income as the main barrier to finding housing.
This count is a snapshot of homelessness, and does not include people who are staying at the hospital, couch surfing, living in motels or with relatives, or living in jail.
“The PIT Count provides one piece in our data approach, which, together with our improved data collection through Homeless Management Information System, will help us measure effective interventions with the goal of moving people from homelessness to housing quicker,” said Judith Tackett, director of the Homeless Impact Division. “Our city has received a $150,000 grant from HUD to help improve our HMIS, which will provide us with a full picture of how people move in and out of homelessness in our city.”