Number of homeless lower than in 2006
January 29, 2007
Preliminary results from a survey taken of the homeless population in Seattle and King County Friday showed a slight decrease in the number of people living on the street compared to 2006.
The One Night Count, sponsored by the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH), found 1,589 people living without any shelter. Last year, 1,618 persons were counted.
The event's organizers are cautious about what the decrease means.
"This trend must be taken cautiously as the One Night Count can be affected by weather, recent economic conditions, and the number of people in shelter tonight, which is still being determined," wrote Nicole Macri, spokeswoman for the SKCCH, in a press release. "Nevertheless, this is an encouraging sign [that] the rate of homelessness may be slowing as our community works to create more housing and other services designed to end homelessness."
Renton and Woodinville both participated in the count for the first time this year, and several other areas were expanded. In the new areas, 289 homeless people were counted.
Several UW students volunteered their time to count in the U-District.
Laura Pritchard, organizer of the teams deployed in the U-District, said the School of Social Work has furnished volunteers for several years. The school's facility also served as a meeting point for the teams.
SKCCH warned about the possibility of the survey's findings only representing part of the total homeless population.
"[The] most compelling lesson from [Friday's] count is there are still thousands of people sleeping on the streets and in cars and tents in King County, and we need to change that reality," said Bill Block, director of the Committee to End Homelessness, one of the several groups involved in the count, in a statement.
The survey was conducted by several organizations from Seattle and King County and included more than 730 volunteers, including former Governor Mike Lowry. Two years ago, about 550 people volunteered. One Night Count organizers credit the increase in volunteers in higher public awareness of the issue of homelessness.
Reach reporter Manuel Valdes at news@thedaily.washington.edu.
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