Counting the faces of the homeless in Snohomish County

Since 2005, Snohomish County and the Homeless Policy Task Force, a community group representing agencies working to prevent homelessness, have conducted an annual “Point in Time” homeless count. The effort is a federal requirement for federal and state funds coming to Snohomish County to fight homelessness. Methods of conducting the one-day tally have evolved. The numbers have fluctuated over eight years. What hasn't changed is that in every year of the Point in Time count, more than 2,000 people in Snohomish County have been found to be homeless.

Annual Snohomish County homeless counts

Because of changes in the ways the count is conducted, only 2009-12 figures can be compared "apples to apples," according to Ken Stark, director of the Snohomish County Human Services Department.

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Homeless people	2,626	2,666	2,154	2,356	2,362	2,273	2,382
Homeless households	1,820	1,352	1,194	1,469	1,335	1,385	1,401
Homeless children under 18	717	890	625	849	862	760	829
Homeless veterans			69	94	78	104	115
Homeless domestic violence victims			88	270	328	326	381
People in shelters and transitional housing			1,198	1,246	1,403	1,352	1,336
Households in shelters and transitional housing						672	662
People unsheltered and on the streets			956	607	615	587	723
Households unsheltered and on the streets						493	541
People precariously housed, doubled-up or couch-surfing				503	344	334	323
Households precariously housed, doubled-up or couch-surfing						220	198

Learn more about homelessness, or lend a hand

• Snohomish County Office of Housing and Community Development and the Office of Community and Homeless Services
• Cocoon House (youth)
• Housing Hope
• Everett Gospel Mission
• Salvation Army-Everett Corps
• Interfaith Association of Northwest Washington