The Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness announced today that they have completed their One Night Count of homeless people in in King County.

The program is now in its 9th year of the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County.

The count took place early this morning. The coalition expressed much appreciation to volunteers and supporters whose careful work made the Count safe, respectful, and accurate.

Note: This One Night Count does not include those people sleeping in recognized emergency shelters and campsites such as Tent Cities.

Results:

Our teams counted 3,117 men, women, and children who were outside in the small hours of the morning. This is 381 more people than our volunteers counted outside one year ago ~ a 14% increase.

Ballard Community Taskforce on Homelessness and Hunger commented on the results.

“That painfully underscores the urgent unmet need in our own backyards. People were sleeping in doorways, on sidewalks, under bridges, in their cars, on public buses, and in temporary structures and makeshift campsites.”

“The work we do together on this one night is just the beginning. This morning, returning to warmth indoors, volunteers told us of a teenager sleeping in a doorway with a suitcase, a family-size tent with a stroller parked outside, and a man who proudly showed counters the garden he created around his campsite. We are especially aware of this truth: everyone should have a place to call home… Our serious work starts now.”