EVERETT – The number of people living homeless or without shelter rose in Snohomish County compared with last year, according to an annual survey released Tuesday.
The Point in Time count conducted by volunteers and county staff Jan. 24 surveyed 515 people in 447 households who were unsheltered at the time of the count, representing a 9 percent increase over the 2016 count. The report also identified more people as chronically homeless.
The county has seen an overall increase of 50 percent in unsheltered homeless people since 2013 – 344 to 515.
In looking at the results, County Executive Dave Somers said, “It’s disturbing that even with our expanded efforts to prevent homelessness, more people continue to fall victim to the housing market, mental health challenges, addiction and economic dislocation.
“Chronic homelessness is tough to fight when affordable rental units are nearly non-existent,” he added. “To relieve human suffering, we need to find innovative ways to help our fellow residents find a place to call home and get the treatment they need.”
The county Human Services Department conducts the count in partnership with social service agencies and volunteers. Findings are used to help prioritize federal, state and local grant funding to gauge progress toward ending homelessness. The analysis and overall trends are used by the Snohomish County Partnership to End Homelessness.
From 8 a.m.-8 p.m., PIT participants interviewed people living on the streets, in wooded encampments, abandoned vehicles, emergency shelters, transitional housing and other places, including areas not fit for living.
During the 2016 count, 1,118 people were surveyed. Of those, 471 reported being unsheltered. Another 489 were without permanent places to stay and were in emergency shelters or transitional housing. The 2016 county found 58 military veterans.
While the final report will show more breakdown of homelessness in specific area such as Arlington or Marysville, overall 390, or 76 percent, of the 515 unsheltered people reported that their last permanent residence was in the county. Of that total, 184 individuals said the last city or town they slept in the night before was Everett, 75 slept in Arlington and 66 slept in Marysville/Tulalip.
At a recent Homelessness Here forum in Arlington, Seanna Herring-Jensen, a member of the North County Homeless Coalition, and part of the PITcount, reported unofficial tallies. She said 150 homeless were counted in Arlington, and 400 total in the north county – about 200 more than last year.
The 2017 results revealed more people with multiple disabling conditions, such as mental health disorders, substance abuse problems and chronic medical conditions.
County Human Services Director Mary Jane Brell Vujovic said that’s an issue of great concern, and that there are reasons behind it. Although the numbers of homeless people have been going up, Brell Vujovic said the county and its partner agencies have succeeded in steering more people toward permanent housing to slow the trend.
Outreach workers and navigators were able to assist a number of people during the count to begin accessing services, shelter or housing.
On PIT count day, the Arlington Community Resource Center and numerous other groups and vendors participated in a resource fair at the Stillaguamish Senior Center, which also doubled as the command center for homeless counts in north county. Homeless attendees were treated a free meal, clothing, access to medical and dental care, haircuts, their name placed on housing lists and other access to resources.
