Mid-Columbia Region Prepares for 2026 Point-in-Time Count
Mid-Columbia River Gorge (January 2026) - Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) are preparing for the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, scheduled for January 28, with surveys being collected between Monday, January 26 and Friday, January 30.
The PIT Count is a literal count of all people experiencing houselessness in the community on a single night. Required across the nation by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this annual effort provides critical data that informs funding decisions and policy development for programs addressing houselessness in the region.
MCCAC serves as the lead PIT Count agency for Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties in Oregon, while WAGAP leads the count efforts for Klickitat and Skamania Counties in Washington. Both organizations work with local partner agencies to collect surveys from individuals or households experiencing houselessness during regular client engagement or through outreach in the community.
The PIT Count provides essential data that helps communities understand the scope and nature of houselessness in their region. This information is used to allocate federal funding, assess the effectiveness of current programs, and identify gaps in services. The PIT Count survey collects information such as demographics, self-identified barriers to accessing resources, and other critical data points to capture a snapshot of houselessness on a single night.
The 2025 PIT Count revealed that 253 individuals were experiencing houselessness across Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties. Of those counted, 126 people were sheltered while 127 were unsheltered, sleeping outside, in vehicles, or in places not intended for human habitation. The count identified 61 seniors aged 55 and older, 48 children and youth aged 0-24, and 13 veterans experiencing houselessness in the three-county region. Community members interested in viewing MCCAC PIT Count results from previous years can visit MCCAC's Data and Reports page at mccac.com/data-reports.
In Washington, WAGAP's 2025 PIT Count found 51 households experiencing houselessness in Klickitat County and 53 households in Skamania County. In Klickitat County, 16 were sheltered and 35 were unsheltered, while Skamania County had 7 sheltered and 46 unsheltered households.
"Partner agency collaboration and community support make it possible to collect the most accurate representation of houselessness in our region," says WAGAP Executive Director Jennifer Pauletto. "The data collected through the PIT Count directly impacts our ability to maintain resources, secure new funding, and develop effective strategies to address houselessness in the Mid-Columbia area."
Opportunities to Get Involved:
MCCAC – Hood River, Wasco, & Sherman Counties
MCCAC needs community support through donations of Warming Bundle Supplies: bottled water, shelf-stable snacks, warm socks, hats, gloves, and hand warmers. During PIT Count, Warming Bundles are distributed to unhoused community members across MCCAC’s service area. To learn more about donating supplies, contact Miriam Starrett at mstarrett@mccac.com.
WAGAP – Klickitat & Skamania Counties
WAGAP needs community support through hygiene item donations for hygiene and warming kits to distribute during PIT Count. Those interested in donating hygiene items or learning more about getting involved in PIT Count in Klickitat and Skamania Counties can contact KeAndra Erickson at keandra@wagap.org.
Learn more about the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative mission and goals and view its updated five-year strategic plan at http://www.midcolumbiahouselesscollaborative.org/.
The Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative includes over 40 organizations from across Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties. The Collaborative is dedicated to improving coordinated efforts to prevent and end houselessness in the Mid-Columbia region.
Learn more at www.midcolumbiahouselesscollaborative.org.