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Configure Homelessness Point-in-Time Count

In this topic

  1. Modify Surveys
  2. Load data
  3. Configure the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site
  4. Notify volunteer applicants
  5. Extend point-in-time count survey

In this topic, you'll learn how to configure the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution to meet specific needs in your organization.

Modify Surveys

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution includes two surveys that dynamically read the values of assignment areas used to populate a choice list. You will modify both surveys to enable them to dynamically read the assignment areas included with your solution.

Modify Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Application survey

The volunteer application survey allows citizens to apply as volunteers to conduct the count and pick a preferred assignment area that they may wish to work in. In order for the survey to recognize the assignment areas you have created, you need to sync the survey with the assignment areas layer.

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary hosted feature layer.
  2. From the item page, under Layers select the AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary layer.
  3. Next to the URL, click Copy to copy the REST endpoint.
  4. Paste the copied URL to notepad.
  5. Install ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  6. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
  7. Click Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Application to download the survey.
  8. In the Download window, click Download and click OK.
  9. Click Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Application to open the survey.
  10. Click XLSForm in the upper left.
  11. In the spreadsheet, look at the first row, replacing the text "AssignmentAreaplaceholderURL" with the feature service URL of the Point-in-Time Volunteer Application table you copied in an earlier step.
    "AssignmentAreaplaceholderURL";
  12. Click Save.
  13. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, in the left toolbar, click Publish to publish your changes.
  14. Review your updates and click Publish Survey. When you create assignment areas they will appear in the list.
    Note:

    You can ignore the Warning about field aliases being changed.

  15. At the bottom of the spreadsheet, click the choices tab and review the Shift list choices.
  16. Modify the name and the label for Shift A, Shift B and Shift C to correlate to hourly shifts your organization uses.

    Optionally, you may change the type of the row for shift (row 14) on the survey tab to hidden if your organization does not use specific shifts for the count.

  17. Review your updates and click Publish Survey. If you have created shifts,they will appear in the list.

Modify Assign Volunteer survey

The Assign Volunteer survey allows point-in-time coordinators to assign volunteers to a specific assignment layer and choose which deployment site they should report to. In order for the survey to recognize the assignment areas and deployment sites you have created, you need to sync the survey with the associated layers.

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary hosted feature layer.
  2. From the item page, under Layers select the AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary layer.
  3. Next to the URL, click Copy to copy the REST endpoint.
  4. Paste the copied URL to notepad.
  5. Install ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  6. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
  7. Click Assign Volunteer to download the survey.
  8. In the Download window, click Download and click OK.
  9. Click Assign Volunteer to open the survey.
  10. Click XLSForm in the upper left.
  11. In the spreadsheet, look at the first row, replacing the text "AssignmentAreaplaceholderURL" with the feature service URL of the Assign Volunteer table you copied in an earlier step.
    "AssignmentAreaplaceholderURL";
  12. Click Save.
  13. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, in the left toolbar, click Publish to publish your changes.
  14. Click Publish Survey.When you create assignment areas, they will appear in the list
    Note:

    You can ignore the Warning about field aliases being changed.

  15. At the bottom of the spreadsheet, click the choices tab.
  16. Modify the name and the label for Shift A, Shift B and Shift C to correlate to hourly shifts your organization uses.

    Optionally, you may change the type of the row for shift (row 12) on the survey tab to hidden if your organization does not use specific shifts for the count.

  17. Review your updates and click Publish Survey. If you have created assignment areas, they will appear in the list.

Load data

Note:
This workflow is optional and doesn't need to be completed in order to work with the solution.

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution includes AssignmentAreas and DeploymentSites feature layers used to store your organization's areas for volunteers to be assigned to and where to report to. Tools are provided in the solution to create this data if you do not have it. If you have existing data, before using the solution you may load your assignment areas and deployment sites into the appropriate layers.

Load assignment areas from a shapefile or file geodatabase

To load assignment areas from a shapefile or file geodatabase, complete the following steps:

  1. Create a .zip file of your shapefile or file geodatabase.
  2. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the AssignmentAreas feature layer.
  3. From the item page, click Update Data.
  4. Follow the steps in the Update data wizard to load your data.
    5. Note:
    The volunteersneeded field will need to be populated to indicate how many volunteers are needed in each area. In addition, the nameandaddress field will need to be populated that will be emailed to volunteers the name and address for where they report.
  5. Repeat the above steps for the DeploymentSites feature layer.
    6. Tip:

    For more information about uploading data, see Manage hosted feature layers—Append data to layers.

Configure the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution includes the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count ArcGIS Hub site. This site can be configured with your organization's branding and used to share information about the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count program with the public.

Update with organizational information

After deploying the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution, the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site layout requires a few updates to fit your local context.

To update the site with your organizational information, complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site.
  2. From the item page, click Configure.
  3. Scroll to any sections that you want to update, hover over the card, and click the edit pencil Edit that appears in the horizontal toolbar, and then edit the content with information specific to your organization.
  4. In the side panel, click Footer.

    A custom footer is provided. In most cases, you will need to update it with your organization's branding, contact information, and social media references.

  5. Click the HTML box.

    The HTML window appears.

  6. Make the necessary changes and click Apply.
  7. Click Save.
  8. Click the Save drop-down arrow and click Publish Draft.

Share items with the public

A layer view, map, and Hub site included in the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution must be shared with everyone so they can be accessed by the public on the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site.

To share items with the public, complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count folder.
  2. Next to each of the following items, check the check box:

    NameItem type

    AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary

    Feature layer (hosted, view)

    Point-in-Time Volunteer Recruitment

    Web Map

    Point-in-Time Count

    Hub Site Application

    Homelessness Point-in-Time Count

    Hub Initiative

    Note:

    You will only have a Hub Initiative item if your organization has ArcGIS Hub Premium.

  3. Click Share.
  4. In the Share window, click Everyone (public) and click Save.
  5. Click Update.

Share the volunteer application form with the Hub community group

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution is used to cultivate a volunteer workforce to canvass your community for the homelessness point-in-time count.

To apply to the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count volunteer program, a user must have a community user account and be signed in to the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site. To grant access to the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Application form, share the form and the PITVolunteers_submit feature layer to the Hub Community Members group. This group is automatically created during Hub Premium activation and contains all members of your community organization. As new community members join, they will be automatically added to this group and will have access to the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Application form.

    Note:

    You must be a community administrator or added as a Group Manager to the Hub community group to perform the next steps.

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count folder.
  2. Next to each of the following items, check the check box:

    NameItem type

    Point-in-Time Volunteer Application

    Form

    Point-in-Time Volunteer Application

    Web Map

    PITVolunteers_submit

    Feature layer (hosted, view)

    AssignmentAreas_assignmentsummary

    Feature layer (hosted, view)

  3. Click Share.
  4. In the Share window, click Edit group sharing.
  5. Check the Organization name Community Members group check box.
    6. Note:

    The name of the group will be default start with the name of your organization. The Hub Community Members group will only be available to users who were administrators of the organization when Hub Premium was activated. If you don’t see this group, work with the Hub Community organization administrator to get access to this group.

  6. Click Apply then click Save.

Notify volunteer applicants

Volunteer coordinators use the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Manager to approve volunteers. After a volunteer has been approved, the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Notebook grants volunteers access to the program and sends an email welcoming volunteers to the program.

Schedule email notifications

Volunteers can be notified by email after running Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Notebook that they have been approved and given access to the Volunteer Resources Hub page. You can manually run the notebook or set it up to run as a scheduled task.

Follow the steps below to schedule the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Notebook to run as a scheduled task.

Note:

You must be assigned a role of Administrator or custom role that includes the privilege to create, edit, and schedule notebooks to run and schedule ArcGIS Notebooks and complete the following steps.

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Notebook item.
  2. Open the item page and click Open notebook.
  3. Click Tasks.
  4. Click Create Task.
  5. For Title, type Point in Time Volunteer Approval Task and click Next.
  6. Configure the task to run nightly by selecting Day from the Repeat Type drop-down menu and selecting 1 - Every Day from the Repeat Interval drop-down menu.
  7. Select a Time value for the task to run at 3 a.m.
  8. Click Create to finish scheduling the notebook.
  9. Click Save to save the notebook.
    10. Note:

    You can start soliciting volunteers early and the above process will send updates to volunteers you have approved once a day. On the morning of the point-in-time count you may have volunteers that show up on site and want to be approved right away. For security purposes, they should still follow the same process of applying to volunteer to gain access. In this case, on the day of the count, you may want to adjust the interval to every 15 minutes or run the notebook manually.

Configure email templates

To modify emails sent by the Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Notebook, complete the following steps:

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Volunteer Email Templates CSV file.
  2. Open the item page and click Download.
  3. Open the CSV file; add, remove, or modify the email templates. Use the following table as a guide.

    RowFunction

    subject_approved

    The subject of the email if a volunteer has been approved

    subject_denied

    The subject of the email if a volunteer has been denied

    hyperlink

    The website of the Volunteer Resources page included with the Hub Site. Do not modify this row.

    body_approved

    The body of the email if a volunteer has been approved

    body_denied

    The body of the email if a volunteer has been denied

  4. Save your changes.
  5. On the Volunteer Email Templates item page, click Update Data and browse to your modified CSV file to upload the changes.

Extend point-in-time count survey

Note:
This workflow is optional and doesn't need to be completed in order to work with the solution.

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution includes a Point-in-Time Count survey that can be used by volunteers to conduct annual point-in-time counts. The questions provided are standard from guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, you can extend this survey with your own questions. Review the pre-configured questions and adjust as necessary to remain in compliance with your organizational policies. In addition, ensure you secure the survey and underlying layers and only share the content with appropriate members of your organization.

Update feature layer views

The Homelessness Point-in-Time Count solution includes a series of views created from feature layers provided with the solution. You can modify the Point-in-Time Count survey by first adding new fields to the feature layers and then configuring the surveys to use the newly created fields. The new fields must be exposed in the appropriate views. When adding new questions, begin with the steps listed below. For changes such as removing questions or formatting the survey, proceed to the Modify point-in-time count form survey section.

To add one or more fields to a layer and recreate the views, complete the following steps:

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS Online organization and search for the Point-in-Time Count hosted feature layer.
  2. Add a new field to a layer in the Point-in-Time Count hosted feature layer.
  3. Update the fields of the associated layer view for Point-in-TimeCount_submit which is used in the Point-in-Time Count survey.

Modify point-in-time count survey form

To modify the Point-in-Time Count survey, complete the following steps:

  1. Install ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  2. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
  3. Click Point-in-Time Count to download the survey.
  4. In the Download window, click Download and click OK.
  5. Click Point-in-Time Count to open the survey.
  6. On the left, from the side toolbar, click the XLSForm button.
  7. At the bottom of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, click the choices tab.

    This tab comprises all the selectable options for survey questions.

  8. Revise the survey to reflect your needs.
  9. Save and close the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and preview your changes in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  10. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, in the left toolbar, click Publish to publish your changes.
  11. Click Publish survey to publish your changes, and then click OK.
Caution:
The Point-in-Time Count survey has many questions with calculated values that are needed for the HUD report. If you modify the survey, it is recommended that you only add additional questions and do not make modifications to the existing values. Additional questions will also need to be translated to Spanish.
Note:

Extending the Point-in-Time Count survey will require you to update the Point-in-Time Count dashboard and associated map if you'd like to include the new information in the dashboard.

Add shelter names pick list

Organizations conducting point-in-time counts may want to add a list of selectable shelter names. Adding the shelter names as a pick list can help maintain data consistency and save time in the field.

To add your list of shelter names to a pick list, complete the following steps:

  1. Install ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  2. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
  3. Click Point-in-Time Count to download the survey.
  4. Click Point-in-Time Count again to open the survey.
  5. On the left pane, click Open XLSForm Spreadsheet.
  6. In the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, click the choices tab.

    This tab comprises all the selectable options for survey questions.

  7. Update the name and label for shelter_name with your local areas shelters. Add additional shelter names and rows as needed, and if necessary, delete all placeholder information.
  8. Click the survey tab and in cell A4, change the word text to select_one shelter_name.

    Note:
    If you encounter a Not a valid XLSFORM Type warning then validate the form type. If the form type is valid and the warning still persists, choose Yes to continue.

  9. In cell I4, type in the word minimal.
    10. For more information about changing the appearance of the question type, see Appearance.
  10. Save the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and preview your changes in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
  11. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, click Publish in the left pane to publish your changes.
Note:

To view your changes in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, on the Download Surveys page, click Download to download the updated survey.

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In this topic
  1. Modify Surveys
  2. Load data
  3. Configure the Homelessness Point-in-Time Count site
  4. Notify volunteer applicants
  5. Extend point-in-time count survey