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

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on utilizing the Self-Calculating PIT Excel Workbook. This workbook is available for use by non-HMIS providers located within the 6 CoCs of the Missouri HMIS implementation to calculate their Point-In-Time Count (PIT) totals and provide them to ICA for inclusion in the PIT Count. HMIS-participating providers will be generating their report using the information they have entered into the HMIS instead of using this tool.

Table of Contents

• Tabs of the Excel Workbook
• Completing the Client-Level Data tab
• Reviewing the PIT Count tab
• Exporting the PIT Count tab
• Submitting the PIT Count report
• Walk-through video demonstration
• Getting Support

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. Throughout this tab, ICA has added "alerts" 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 ICA. Instructions on exporting and submitting this tab to ICA 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

This field is pre-filled with an ID number starting with 101 and will be used solely for the purpose of the 2025 Sheltered PIT.  You may also utilize client IDs from another system you use. Each client ID number must be unique. You must be able to identify which client goes with the ID number in the event that there are questions from ICA about potentially invalid or incorrect information.

Household ID

In this field, you will enter an ID number or letter for the household. This may be an ID number utilized by another system you use or one you create solely for the purpose of the 2025 Sheltered PIT. The Household ID must be a number/letter that you have assigned to the entire household. It is vitally important that all household members have 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 your best estimate of the client's age based upon the client's appearance for the workbook to operate properly.

Alerts

This field will turn red if the age doesn't align with the household type (i.e., a 12-year-old in an "adult-only" household). This is an error that must be fixed.

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)", "Transgender"), select the last option on the dropdown list, "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." 

Alerts

If "More Than One Gender" is selected, the following column will be shaded orange. You will then select the first gender identity of the client. After the first response is selected, click the same box to record each gender the client identifies as. (i.e., if a client identifies as "Culturally Specific Identity (e.g., Two Spirit)", Non-Binary", and "Questioning", you'd open the dropdown menu and select "Culturally Specific Identity (e.g., Two Spirit),". When you open the dropdown menu again, you'll see all of the options start with "Culturally Specific Identity (e.g., Two Spirit)" and then have additional gender identity options listed afterwards. In this example you'd choose "Culturally Specific Identity (e.g., Two Spirit), Non-Binary,". To add the client's third gender identity, you'd open the dropdown menu one more time and choose "Culturally Specific Identity (e.g., Two Spirit), Non-Binary, Questioning,"

Race & Ethnicity

This is a dropdown field 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.

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". You should choose "N/A (Child)" for any person under the age of 18.

Alerts

If this field is marked "Yes" and the age of the individual is less than 18, the field will highlight in red as persons under the age of 18 cannot be U.S. military veterans. This is an error that must be fixed.

Parenting Youth? (Y/N)

A parenting youth is a person under the age of 25 who is the parent or guardian of a child in their care. Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual is under the age of 25 and is accompanied by one of their children. If the client is 25 or older or does not have any children with them, you will mark "no".

Alerts

• If this field is marked "Yes" but they are over the age of 24, the field will be highlighted in red. This is an error which must be fixed.
• If the field is marked "Yes" but the household type is set to Adults Only, the text will become red and bolded. This is an error which must be fixed.

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. Reminder, if the parent is marked "Yes" for Parenting Youth, then the children in their household should be marked "Yes" for Child of Parenting Youth.

Alerts

• If the field is marked "Yes" but the age of the individual is greater than 17, the field will highlight in red. This is an error which must be fixed.
• If this field, along with Parenting Youth, are both marked yes for the same person, both columns will turn red. This is an error which must be fixed.

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 adults 25 and older or their child(ren).  There could be a household composed of multiple unaccompanied youth.

Alerts

• If this field is marked "Yes" but the age is greater than 24, the field will highlight in red. This is an error which must be fixed.
• If this field is marked "No" but the household type is "child-only", the text will turn red. This is an error which must be fixed.

Chronic Status (Y/N)

Using this dropdown, you will indicate whether the individual meets the criteria for chronic homelessness. Please carefully read the definition for chronically homeless below. If the client does not meet all 3 criteria, then mark "No" for Chronic Status. 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 has been homeless at least four separate occasions totaling at least 12 months in the last 3 years; AND
• Has a disability that is long-term and impacts their ability to live independently.

Alerts

• The field will be shaded in yellow if it is marked "Yes" but the answers to mental illness, substance use disorder, and HIV/AIDS are all "No" because this scenario is unlikely, but not impossible. 

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.

Current County (BoS Only)

Using this dropdown, select the county in which the client is sheltered. 

County of Last Permanent Residence (BoS Only)

Using this dropdown, select the county where the client last lived in a permanent residence for at least 90 days. If the county of last permanent residence is outside of Missouri, you can select "Outside of MO" near the bottom of the list. 

Once all clients have been entered, you can continue onto the next section below.

Reviewing the PIT Count Tab

First, fill in the yellow cells at the top with your agency and project name, and select from the dropdowns your project type and CoC. This will aid ICA in aggregating your data with other projects. If your agency or project are not listed in the appropriate dropdowns, then please type in your agency name and project name in the cells provided.

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. 

Alerts

• If the data is congruent there will be a little green check mark at the bottom right of each data set. If you see a red "x" at the bottom right of a data set, click on the "x" for an explanation of why the data is incongruent and how to correct the error.

Exporting the PIT Count Tab

To export the completed excel file to submit to ICA, follow these steps:

1. Ensure the PIT Count tab is open
2. Click File
3. Click Save A Copy
4. Name the file something meaningful, including your agency and project name, and save it somewhere you'll be able to retrieve it
5. Click Save

You should include both completed tabs in the workbook to ICA for review. To do so, first, ensure that there is no client identifying information such as names or dates of birth. Then save a copy of the excel workbook. Include your agency and project name in the file name (e.g., "AgencyA_ProjectX_Self-CalculatingExcel_PITCount.xlsx). Make sure to keep a copy of the excel file with all of the client-level data for your records and in the event ICA needs to follow up about your data submission.

Submitting the PIT Count Report

Send an email with the completed and saved Excel file attached to the ICA MO Helpdesk. Include the name of your agency and your project, plus the best way to reach you, in the email. ICA will review it as time permits and will let you know if we have any questions or need additional information.

Walk-Thru Video Demonstration

Getting Support

If you have any questions or run into any difficulty at any point, we encourage you to reach out to our helpdesk for assistance.

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