Count of homeless in Everett finds range of causes

It was one veteran talking to another.

Kelli Jo Hurley, an Air Force and Iraq War veteran, approached a man wearing a tattered plaid shirt. She asked politely, would he mind answering a few questions? No problem, he knew it was the day of the Point in Time homeless count.

The man, who identified himself only by the initials R.D.T., said he had been homeless since the 1990s.

“I’ll be 62 in two days,” he said. And yes, he told Hurley, he served in the military — “in the Army, but that goes back a long time.”

When she asked where he slept the night before, his answer was brief and stark: “Outside.” When icy fog recently gripped Everett, he said he slept at the Salvation Army, not far from the Everett Public Library where Hurley found him Thursday. “It has to be freezing or below to stay there,” he said.

Hurley was one of about 150 volunteers around Snohomish County gathering information Thursday for the 2013 Point in Time count. The one-day tally is a requirement for communities receiving state and federal money to fight homelessness.

In 2012, the count identified 2,387 people and 1,410 households as being homeless, with about 800 people under age 18. Those figures were up slightly from 2011, when 2,249 people were counted.

Although inexact, the numbers help Snohomish County determine specific needs, and get a share of funding in proportion to the local homeless population.

Anji Jorstad, a spokeswoman for the community’s Homeless Policy Task Force, said a preliminary total from Thursday’s count would be released as early as today. Final figures are expected in February, she said.

“There isn’t any one main cause of homelessness,” said Jorstad, who works for Bridgeways, a nonprofit housing and employment program. “There’s domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse and folks losing jobs. There’s the perception that it’s all somehow because of bad decisions. Once you’re on the inside, it’s so much more complex.”

Hurley, 31, was volunteering Thursday, but her job with Catholic Community Services of Western Washington also reaches out to homeless veterans. “A lot of them have physical and mental health issues. My program seeks to help them find employment,” said Hurley, a former aircraft electrician who spent 12 years in the Air Force.

Not everyone counted as homeless sleeps on the street.

Area shelters, including the men’s and women’s shelters run by the Everett Gospel Mission, provide counts of current residents, said Jeanita Nelson, volunteer services manager with Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.

Working at the Salvation Army in Everett on Thursday, Nelson was overseeing the Point in Time count in central Snohomish County. Count volunteers also worked from sites in Lynnwood, Sultan and north Snohomish County.

Volunteers began their day with a short training.

“This is people telling their story. We are kind of going into their homes,” Bre Andrews, an administrative assistant at Salvation Army, told volunteers Thursday morning. She provided volunteers with cold-weather packets, containing hats, hand warmers and other items, to give the people being surveyed, along with information about veterans’ benefits.

Early Thursday, three volunteers from Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County looked for homeless encampments near the railroad tracks along Everett’s waterfront and near the Snohomish River.

Tami Krell is a homeless community advocate with the agency that helps domestic violence victims. She was joined by volunteers Carole Schettler and Suzanne Wren, also with Domestic Violence Services. “Domestic violence is the number one cause of homelessness in Snohomish County for women and children,” Krell said.

No one was camped by the river under a Highway 529 bridge Thursday, where Krell counted people in previous years. Many homeless people aren’t in plain sight.

“We have 18 women and children in our confidential shelter right now — and it’s a 15-bed shelter,” Wren said.

In Everett later, Hurley asked another homeless man some questions about services or things he might need. The survey lists 30 possible needs — among them a short-term place to stay, food, bus tickets, medical care and a long list of other things most of us consider necessities.

The man, a 52-year-old who said he once worked in food service, reported one simple want. “Clothes,” he said.

It was amazing to hear that. With so much need, he didn’t ask for much.

“It’s a humbling experience,” Jorstad said.

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.