CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — The Champaign County Continuum of Services is set to hold a press conference later this month to discuss this year’s Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness during a press conference on Thursday, January 22. The press conference will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and will tkae place in the John Dimit Conference Room in the Brookens Administrative Center at 1776 E. Washington Street, Urbana).

The count allows homeless service providers to track progress made towards ending homelessness in the community. During the 2025 PIT count, a total of 355 individuals were identified as homeless in Champaign County, an increase of 76 from the previous year. Of those individuals identified during the 2025 count, 56 were unsheltered, 169 were sheltered in emergency shelters, and 130 were in transitional housing. The number of homeless individuals under the age of 18 also rose to 75 from 64 identified in 2024.

Congress utilizes the data collected from the PIT count to track the needs of people experiencing homelessness and to determine federal funding allocations for programs serving people experiencing homelessness. PIT counts both sheltered (residing in emergency or transitional housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness) and unsheltered (living in spaces not meant for human habitation, such as cars or on the street) people.