(The Center Square) – Nearly 240 volunteers are scheduled to canvass Spokane County and its cities next week in an annual point-in-time survey of homeless and unhoused persons.
Spokane’s PIT count is part of state and nationwide efforts to identify and serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Collected information is sent to the Washington State Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The annual surveys in late January are considered a “snapshot” of the number of unhoused persons and their circumstances in jurisdictions across the state. That provides information to policy makers in determining advocacy efforts, planning, and funding for local resources, including affordable housing.
This year, 239 volunteers have signed up to assist with the count, an increase from last year’s 170 participants, said Brian Walker, communications manager for the City of Spokane’s Neighborhoods, Housing, and Human Services Division.
“We are so thankful for all of our volunteers and partners who come together on behalf of our regional Continuum of Care Board that’s tasked with conducting the annual countywide point-in-time count that helps determine federal funding for homeless services and regional planning efforts,” Walker said Friday in an email to The Center Square.
He said staff members and students from Whitworth University and Washington State University’s College of Nursing will be among the volunteers “who will receive valuable, first-hand, in-the-field experience working with our homeless population and providers that complements their classroom studies.”
Empire Health Foundation and the Spokane Central Library will serve as the “PIT count” headquarters for volunteers while the library, along with the Homeless Connect resource fair at the Spokane Convention Center, will serve as survey sites for next week’s count.
A count of sheltered persons is scheduled Monday, Jan. 22, followed by street counts Tuesday through Saturday, Jan. 23-27. Using mobile phones and tablets, volunteers will work in teams for three-hour shifts, either morning or afternoon.
“… it takes an army of volunteers and a lot of coordination with partners to pull this off so that we achieve as accurate of a snapshot estimate as possible and the students and volunteers come away with better understanding of our most vulnerable population,” said Walker.
He mentioned a prior volunteer surveying one homeless man who said, “Thank you for counting me. I didn’t think anyone was paying attention.”
“Such anecdotes are powerful reminders of the importance of the annual countywide count,” said Walker.
The number of adults ages 18 and older experiencing “housing instability” as of July 2023 totaled 163,359 statewide and 19,739 in Spokane County, according to state Department of Commerce figures. The highest numbers were seen in King County (46,496), Pierce County (30,749), and Snohomish County (20,771). Garfield County had the lowest recorded homeless population at 39.
According to Commerce, the 2023 tallies can’t be compared directly to previous point-in-time counts because of criteria revisions that resulted in “significant increases in the number of individuals identified as homeless.”
Along with totals for each of Washington’s 39 counties in 2023, there are sub-category listings for individuals, households (with children or only adults), ethnicity, and individuals receiving public assistance. Distinctions are also made between those considered “homeless only” and those deemed “unstably housed.”
Washington’s Commerce Department oversees multiple programs using state and federal funds for services that include street outreach, emergency shelter, homeless students, rental assistance, housing placement, and funding for landlords.
According to Washington’s Office of Financial Management, the state has spent more than $2.4 billion in recent years to reduce homelessness and address housing shortages.
The effectiveness of such programs has been called into question. Last month, a Spokane lawmaker, Rep. Jenny Graham, introduced House Bill 1872, which calls for more accountability in grant funding allocations. The measure has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
