Bed and Unit Guide

This guide has been developed to assist in understanding the rules and requirements for counting both beds and units for the Housing Inventory Count (HIC).

Note: In this document, "units/vouchers" is used as an umbrella term and may refer to the following depending upon the project's setup:

  • Beds in congregate spaces such as barracks-style emergency shelters or transitional housing facilities if each bed is intended for a different household.
  • Rooms, apartments, or houses designed to hold a single household (single person or family) in site-based emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing projects. 
  • Vouchers provided to households (single persons or families) in tenant-based transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing projects.

Table of Contents

HUD Household Types

Applies to all project types.
All beds and units must be categorized as one of the official HUD Household Types. If your beds can be used for multiple household types (i.e., they are not dedicated to one of the specific household types below), they must still be reported in one of the official HUD Household Types (adults only, children only, or adults with children). Projects in this category can determine their unit/voucher distribution using the section on Counting Multiuse Beds and Units/Vouchers.

Adult-Only Households

Everyone in the household is age 18 or over. This includes households where there is only one single person 18 years of age or older and households with at least one adult and dependents 18 or older.

Adult & Child Households

There is at least 1 member of the household under the age of 18, and at least 1 member of the household age 18 or over. All Adult & Child Households must have at least two persons. 

Child-Only Households

Everyone in the household is under than age of 18. This includes households where there is only one single person under the age of 18 and households considered parenting youth; the parent is under 18 and has a dependent under 18. 

Unit/Voucher Types

All year-round/permanent beds and units/vouchers can be classified in two categories. 

Fixed Units/Vouchers

A project is deemed to have fixed units/vouchers if the project has a set number of units/vouchers and each of those units/vouchers is assigned to a specific HUD Household Type of "adult-only households," "adult & child households," or "child-only households." Information on counting these types of units/vouchers is available in the section on Counting Fixed Units/Vouchers. 

Examples of Fixed Units/Vouchers
  • A site-based permanent supportive housing project with 12 studio apartments in one building where each apartment can only hold "adult-only households." 
  • An emergency shelter with 25 beds which serves only "adult-only households." 
  • An emergency shelter with 35 beds, 15 of which are designated for "adult-only households" and 20 of which are designated for "adult & child households."
  • A transitional housing project with 12 houses, each designed for an "adult & child household."
  • A permanent housing project with 9 vouchers for "adult & child households."

Multiuse Units/Vouchers

A project is deemed to have multiuse units/vouchers if either of the following criteria are met: 

  • The project has a flexible number of units/vouchers that varies based upon available funding and resources.
  • The project has a set number of units/vouchers, but the household type for the units/vouchers changes based upon need and available funding and resources. 

Projects with multiuse units/vouchers must supply two different unit inventories to ICA each year. Information on counting these types of units is available in the section on Counting Multiuse Units/Vouchers.

Examples of Multiuse Units
  • A shelter has 14 rooms and fills them with any household type according to client needs. 
  • A voucher-based permanent supportive housing project which serves a varying number of both "adult-only" and "adult & child" households based upon available funding and client needs. 
  • A tenant-based rapid rehousing housing project which serves a varying number of both "adult-only" and "adult & child" households based upon available funding and client needs. 

Counting Fixed Beds, Units & Vouchers

Applies to all project types if the project has a fixed, year-round number of units/vouchers that are explicitly dedicated to one of the three household types. If a project adjusts how beds are utilized based upon needs, please go to Counting Beds in Multiuse Units/Vouchers.

Counting Fixed Units

A unit is effectively a household.  This may be a household of one person or a household of multiple persons. For example, a house with three bedrooms which is designated to be used by a single-family is one unit. However, if the same house was designated to house three families (one in each bedroom), it would be three units. Another example would be a barracks-style shelter designed for 25 homeless single adults, which would be 25 units. 

Counting Project-Supplied Beds in Fixed Units/Vouchers

All beds, regardless of size, are counted for the number of people they're designated to hold according to the program. For example:

  • A single bed for one person is counted as one bed.
  • A queen-size bed for one person is counted as one bed.
  • A queen-size bed for a couple is counted as two beds.
Do not include cribs or pack-and-plays in your bed count. 
Rollaways, mats, or cots should only be counted in your bed count if they are the standard bed for the program.

Counting Tenant-Supplied Beds in Fixed Units/Vouchers

For programs that lease apartments as needed for qualified clients (usually permanent supportive housing voucher-type programs): Your total bed count will be the same as the number of people who are being housed in the units. This also applies to voucher-based projects like rapid rehousing. 

For programs that own unfurnished units:  You may use one of the two options below, or use your own standardized measurement based on the normal capacity of your program.

Option 1:  Determine your average family size for the previous year and multiply that times your number of units. (preferred method)
Option 2:  Standard Bed Counts for Unfurnished Family Units 
Note: This is an example and you would need to determine the typical number of beds in each unit size for your project. 
  • Efficiency Unit = 1 bed
  • 1-bedroom Unit = 2 beds
  • 2-bedroom Unit = 3 beds
  • 3-bedroom Unit = 5 beds
  • 4-bedroom Unit = 7 beds

Counting Multiuse Beds, Units & Vouchers

Applies to tenant/voucher-based transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing projects. Also applies to projects with a fixed number of units where the units switch between household types based upon need. If a project has a fixed number of units that are assigned to specific household types, go to Counting Beds in Fixed Units/Vouchers.

2025 Housing Inventory Count

The Housing Inventory Count for 2025 is unchanged from 2024. If your program provides hotel/motel vouchers or is a voucher based rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing project, the bed and unit capacity that you should report for purposes of the housing inventory should equal the number of people who are using vouchers on the night of the PIT count.  

  • If you have 10 people being housed with vouchers on the night of the point-in-time count, then your bed inventory should be reported as 10, even if you could provide more vouchers if they were needed.
  • If you are a voucher based permanent supportive project or transitional housing project contracted to serve 30 clients, for example, but you have 35 clients enrolled in the project on the night of PIT count, then you should report 35 beds.

Assigning Beds to HUD Household Types

In the event a project has multiuse beds, all beds must be categorized into one of HUD's three household types. Projects may choose to categorize unused beds based upon the population they typically serve or the population they served on the night of the PIT/HIC.

Note: In the following formulas, "beds" is being used as shorthand for beds, units, or vouchers depending upon your project's configuration. 

Based Upon Typical Population Served

Formula: Percentage of Beds Typically Used by Household Type × Total Beds = Total Beds in Household Type

AC=Adult & Child Households               AO=Adult only households             CO=Child Only households

Example:

A project with 40 beds typically has 70% of its beds used by AC households, 20% used by AO households, and 10% used by CO households. 

Noting this, we can determine the project's beds should be distributed as follows:

  • 70% AC beds × 40 total Beds = 28 AC beds
  • 20% AO beds × 40 total beds = 8 AO beds 
  • 10% CO beds × 40 total beds = 4 CO beds

The project, therefore, reports 28 AC beds, 8 AO beds, and 4 CO beds.

Based Upon Night of the Count

Formula: (Beds in Use by Household Type ÷ In Use Beds) × Unused Beds = Unused Beds in Household Type

Example:

On the night of the count, a project with 40 beds that can serve anyone (i.e., all multiuse beds) had: 

  • 20 beds in use by AC households 
  • 10 beds in use by AO households 
  • 0 beds in use by CO households 
  • 10 beds unused

Using the formula above, we determine the unused beds should be distributed as follows:

  • (20 AC Beds ÷ 30 In-Use Beds) × 10 Unused = 6.67 unused AC beds
  • (10 AO Beds ÷ 30 In-Use Beds) × 10 Unused = 3.33 unused AO beds 
  • (0 CO Beds ÷ 30 In-Use Beds) × 10 Unused = 0 unused CO beds

After rounding, the project reports a total of 27 AC beds, 13 AO beds, and 0 CO beds.


Counting Overflow Beds

Applies to emergency shelters that provide overflow beds.

If your emergency shelter program provides overflow mats or cots above your normal maximum capacity in extreme circumstances, the overflow bed capacity that you should report for purposes of the housing inventory should equal the number of people who are using overflow beds on the night of the point-in-time count.  
  • If you have 2 people sleeping on overflow cots on the night of the point-in-time count because of extreme weather conditions or for another reason, then your overflow bed count is 2, even if you could put out more cots.

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Counting Seasonal Beds

Applies to emergency shelters that provide seasonal beds.

Seasonal beds are beds that are regularly available for only a portion of the year, for example, beds that are set up only during the winter.  The number of seasonal beds might be the same every night, or the number available might change periodically, for example, if they rotate from one church to the next, and one church can house more people than another.  

  • If the number of beds is the same every night, then the total number of people who could be housed is the number that should be reported as the seasonal bed inventory.
  • If the number of beds changes throughout the duration of the program because the location changes periodically, the total number of beds should be based on the location that is in use on the night of the point-in-time count.

Inventory Under Development

Applies to any project that is not housing/sheltering clients on the night of the 2025 PIT/HIC and is expected to start operating before January 31, 2026.

Beds and units that were fully funded but not available for occupancy as of January 31 of the year of the count.  For example, for the 2025 HIC, beds and units that were fully funded but not available for occupancy as of January 22, 2025. For inventory identified as under development, CoCs must also identify whether the bed/unit inventory is expected to be available for occupancy within the next 12 months. For example, in the 2025 HIC, CoCs must identify whether the bed/unit inventory is expected to be available for occupancy by January 31, 2026.

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Bed Dedication

Applies to all project types.

A dedicated bed is a bed that must be filled by a person in the subpopulation category (or a member of their household) unless there are no persons from the subpopulation who qualify for the project located within the geographic area (2020 HMIS Data Standards Manual, v1.7, pp. 55). Beds may be tied to one, two, three, or none of these categories.

Veterans

Beds that are dedicated to house veterans and their household members. 

Youth

Beds that are dedicated to house youth (persons up to age 24) and their household members.

Chronically Homeless (PSH Only)

Permanent Supportive Housing Beds that are dedicated to chronically homeless persons and their household members.

Dedication-Related Requirements

Veterans Affairs-funded Beds

Any beds funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs must be categorized as veteran-dedicated beds. 

RHY and YHDP Beds 

Any beds funded with FYSB Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) or CoC Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) must be categorized as youth-dedicated beds.

Exceptions & Exclusions

Beds Dedicated to Children in Foster Care & Wards of the State

Some youth-focused agencies may have shelter beds that are dedicated for children in foster care and/or children who are wards of the state. Any shelter beds that are dedicated to these populations must not be included in the PIT/HIC.

RHY Basic Center Program Shelters

Record only non-system youth beds on the HIC. If your project does not have a set number of beds reserved for homeless youth, please estimate your yearly population or record the number of beds occupied on the night of the count.


Multi-CoC Projects

Applies to projects that operate in multiple CoCs. 

For projects that operate in multiple CoCs (common for MHTF, SSVF and VASH projects), units/vouchers must be recorded in the HIC based upon the number of households and clients sheltered or housed within the physical boundaries of each CoC. This does  not apply to CoC-funded projects, even if they house clients outside of their CoC boundaries, as those projects operate within a single CoC.

Other Resources

HUD-VASH Vouchers

Any unassigned HUD-VASH vouchers must be apportioned according to the proportion of vouchers in use within the physical boundaries of each CoC. Unassigned vouchers are not reported for any projects other than HUD-VASH. 
Total Vouchers Available x (Total Vouchers in Use in A Given CoC ÷ Total Vouchers in Use) = 
Total Vouchers Available for that CoC
Round the units/vouchers to the nearest whole number in each CoC and check to make sure that the units/vouchers in each CoC add up to the total number of units/vouchers available in your project on the night of the PIT count across all of the applicable CoCs.

SSVF Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA)

EHA beds are funded through SSVF RRH beds. EHA beds are occupied by clients enrolled in SSVF RRH projects who are still searching for housing. When clients are enrolled in SSVF RRH and staying in an emergency shelter, there is no EHA bed to count. However, if the enrolled client is staying in a hotel/motel paid for by the SSVF RRH project, it is considered to be an EHA bed. EHA beds are counted as Overflow beds for Emergency Shelter.  

Example:

  • SSVF RRH project has 10 enrolled AO clients on the night of the PIT count.
  • Of the 10 clients, 5 are in permanent housing and 5 are still looking for housing. 
  • Of the 5 not in housing, 3 are staying at the local emergency shelter and 2 are staying in a motel paid for by the SSVF RRH project on the night of the PIT count.
  • EHA beds = 2. 

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