Volunteers tally at least 908 people living on the streets in Snohomish County

Published 10:37 pm Friday, January 29, 2010

EVERETT — They found the homeless in the public library, at Everett Station, in Clark Park, outside fast food joints, parked in shopping center lots, eating at the Salvation Army and near the state Department of Social and Health Services on N. Broadway.

Across Everett and throughout Snohomish County, volunteers fanned out Thursday to participate in the annual Point in Time count of the homeless population.

This year’s total count, which county officials say is still incomplete, was 2,291 individuals. The number compares with last year’s final count of 2,356 individuals, county spokesman Christopher Schwarzen said.

This year’s total includes an estimated 822 homeless children under the age of 18.

Though she’s been sleeping at her parents’ house recently, Jasmine Wilson, 19, is still considered homeless. Her children, a 1-year-old and a 1-month old, are in temporary foster care until she can find a job and a place to live, she said outside DSHS.

“It’s so hard to find a job. So many places aren’t hiring,” Wilson said. “Finding an apartment is impossible. The rent is just too high. I want my kids back.”

Point in Time volunteer Brian Eisenkraft took Wilson’s information for the survey.

“The problem is 40 percent of homeless people in this county might live in the woods, in shelters, on the streets or in their cars,” Eisenkraft said. “But another 60 percent are couch surfing, staying temporarily with family members, friends or acquaintances.”

The number of volunteers participating in the count was down this year, said Kristie Busby of the Salvation Army.

Nevertheless, people in rural and urban settings were counted, and a group of Marysville-Pilchuck High School students even spent the day with a formerly homeless teen who knew where to look.

“The count is important because without it, it’s so easy to turn a blind eye,” Busby said. “We need to see what’s actually happening out there.”

County officials agree.

“Nobody should have to be without a permanent home,” Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said in a statement released by the county. “With today’s economic crisis, we must not only find homes for those without, but we must help those families on the brink of losing their homes.”

Those staying in shelters and transitional housing the night of the count totaled 1,383. This number is up slightly from last year, county officials said.

An additional 908 individuals who were surveyed on the street identified themselves as being homeless. This compares with 1,110 in the 2009 count.

The county’s Human Services Department plans to spend time studying data from the Point in Time count, comparing numbers and demographics collected during past years while looking for trends.

Totals are expected to increase slightly in the next few weeks as individual agencies that helped collect numbers finish reporting their results.

“Statistics gathered will help the county determine how different populations are affected by homelessness, including single mothers with children, those with mental health and chemical dependency issues, as well as veterans,” said Ken Stark, the county’s human services director.

Christina Lundquist, a human services student at Edmonds Community College, participated in the homeless count in Everett.

Most people were happy to participate in the survey, she said.

The Point in Time count is a state and federal requirement for government funding to help homeless people.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427, gfiege@heraldnet.com.