By Isabel Vander Stoep
isabel@chronline.com
While it’s widely-known as an imperfect data set, the Washington Department of Commerce's annual “point-in-time count” is one of the state’s best estimates to quantify homelessness.
Lewis County’s numbers were reviewed by the Public Health & Social Services advisory board in a Thursday night meeting last week, and the data showed the number of people who slept in “places not fit for human habitation” rose by just one from 2022’s count, from 59 to 60.
The number of folks who are homeless but sheltered rose 34% in the county from last year’s count. It was tallied at 93 people this year, while the total sat at 61 last year.
In 2020, there were 107 unsheltered individuals in the county and just 35 sheltered-but-homeless people. The count was not performed in 2021.
The census takes place in late January. Volunteers, service providers and health departments take a look at the number of people who are homeless on a given night. But, with the one-night-only method, people are sure to be missed.
“There are people that are in their vehicles and we don't know where they parked. Usually, they will park at a dead end of the road and someone can't see them, so that they can't be moved along. Because they're just looking for a place to stay that night," said Justia Madrigal, contracts coordinator for public health. "Some people are going to be doubled-up on couches with family members for one night, but maybe that’s not something that could sustain them for multiple months.”
The process also misses homeless people who are in prison or jail, people in the hospital, domestic violence survivors who are staying with family or friends as they flee and those who simply refuse to participate.
“It’s one day. It’s a snapshot,” said public health Director Meja Handlen, noting that a person wouldn’t be counted even if they were homeless any other time in the month of January.
The census collects demographic information and data on the health of individuals, too, asking whether they’re suffering from substance abuse disorder, if they’re a victim of domestic violence, their age, veteran status, gender and so forth.
Alongside counting people, volunteers count inventory in housing programs. Compared to last year in Lewis County, there were more people in all three forms of housing programs: permanent supportive, rapid rehousing and “other permanent” housing. Those totals rose 20%, 19% and 35% respectively.
“So why do we do this?” asked Brian Fullerton with commerce as he presented the information last week.
It’s a state law, he said, and it allows data tracking and applications for grants.
But “Really, why?” he asked again, later answering, “It’s important because everyone thinks it’s important. … Most of the people emailing me are not my coworkers, they’re members of the press asking me about the PIT (point in time) count occasionally by researchers. And it's also becoming so widely known.”
On some level, Fullerton said, the count is the best “ruler” to measure the problem of homelessness in our communities.
