SEATTLE — King County released its Unsheltered Point-in-Time (PIT) Count on Wednesday revealing an increase of homelessness in the county since 2022.
PIT takes place every other year at the direction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which it uses to allocate federal funds.
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) conducted its count between Jan. 22 and Feb. 2 and found on any given night there are an estimated 16,385 people experiencing homelessness. The number of homeless people is up 23% from the previous count in 2022. When adjusted for population growth during the same period, that number is 12%.
According to the report, 60% of those experiencing homelessness are unsheltered, just under 10,000. This is reportedly up 3% from 2022’s count.
The report also found that homelessness continues to impact people of color in the county disproportionally.
The 2024 count found that 19% of people experiencing homelessness identify as Black/African American, despite only making up 6% of the county’s population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
After the report was released, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn spoke out against the current homelessness strategy.
“King County’s homeless population has surged nearly 50% since the King County Regional Homelessness Authority was first formed five years ago and a shocking 23% since 2022, despite the millions of dollars spent," Dunn said in a statement. "Leaders need to face the fact that the KCRHA’s current approach doesn’t work. Lives depend on leadership’s ability to change course.”
King County said homelessness is a housing problem and cited a Department of Commerce report that determined the lack of affordable housing options has “reached critical levels.”
“Washington is among many states that are not producing an adequate and affordable supply of housing for our growing population,” said Paul Trautman, Affordable Housing Advisory Board Chair. “The housing challenges highlighted in this report will take local, state, and federal action to build the more than one million housing units needed across Washington.”
The KCRHA Governing Committee unanimously approved a five-year plan in June 2023.
The plan laid out its path forward to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the county. Key goals of the five-year plan include ensuring service providers have the staff and tools needed, coordinating the county’s network of providers and collaborating with other systems like healthcare, employment and education.
KCRHA said it needs to create 18,200 units of temporary shelter or housing by 2027 to meet the needs of the 53,000 people that experience homelessness over the course of one year in the county.