FILE – Homeless Camp

A group of people dismantle a tent at a homeless encampment being cleared in 2020 at Ballard Commons Park in Seattle. Cities large and small are trying to figure out how to deal with a growing homeless population and still comply with Washington court rulings that prohibit a total ban on camping.

 Ted S. Warren/AP Images

(The Center Square) – A new report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reveals that the Seattle – King County region has the third largest number of homeless people in the country.

The report estimates that there are 14,149 homeless people living in the Seattle – King County region. That trails Los Angeles City and County, Calif. (71,320) and New York City, N.Y. (88,025).

“The bottom line is that when housing is unaffordable, and the cost of living puts basic needs out of reach, then more and more people are faced with homelessness,” King County Regional Homelessness Authority Senior Director of External Affairs Anne Martens told The Center Square in an email. “And the longer someone is homeless, the harder it is to find stability again.”

Earlier this year, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority passed its five-year plan seeking to increase housing stock as a solution to the growing homelessness crisis the county is experiencing.

The plan outlines a three part approach to solve homelessness. This includes system-to-system connections, emphasizing partnering service providers and coordinating the network of homeless service providers throughout King County, according to the agency.

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s plan estimates a potential cost of $450 million to $1.1 billion per year over the next 10 years in order to increase housing as a solution to homelessness.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homelessness Assessment Report is a collection of required data that is submitted to the department by agencies across the country, including the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. As part of data collection, the agency will be conducting a point-in-time count in January 2024. The previous count found that the Seattle and King County area had 13,348 homeless people in 2022.

 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also released a package of grants earlier this year that totaled $486 million to help 62 communities address homelessness. Washington state received $8.4 million from the package. 

Martens said that the federal aid that the county received since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has yielded positive results and offers proof on what works to prevent homelessness.

“The data calls for expanding access to housing, shelter, and supportive services at the scale necessary to meet the need,” Martens added.

The report also found that more than half of all people experiencing homelessness in the country were in four states: California (28%), New York (16%), Florida (5%) and Washington (4%).