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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Homeless Count Up Slightly

City   January 27, 2012 at 1:02 pm Erica C. Barnett

The county’s ten-year plan to end homelessness, obviously a term more aspirational than realistic, took another backslide yesterday when the annual One-Night Count of the county’s homeless showed that the number of homeless people sleeping outdoors in King County actually ticked up slightly this year, increasing from 2,442 to 2,594.

Noting that the annual street count is “only a snapshot,” Committee to End Homelessness director Bill Block said in a statement, “Even in the face of the recession, we know that our investments can reduce the number of people who are homeless — that happened last year and the year before.”

However, the original goal of the Ten-Year Plan was to “end homelessness in King County by 2014,” at which point, the plan continues, there should be no need for outdoor encampments like Tent City, a much-reduced emergency service system (because most people will move quickly from homelessness into housing), and “immediate access to housing” for people who become homeless.


  • Davey Jones

    Did the count those with DID (Dissociative identity disorder) twice again?

  • Mark B

    It only makes sense with all the foreclosures and people losing their jobs.

  • Dumb Polack

    Something tells me the influx Of bums we have in Ballard has nothing to do with them being ‘foreclosed’. The only thing they ever foreclose on is a 48.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tim-Malone/100002475802402 Tim Malone

    2,594 in all of King County, or were they just counting all the vermin on the Ave?  

  • Kim

    Don’t confuse the bums with the hipsters.  They both look scruffy and drink cheap beer.

  • Rosie

    The do call this place Freeattle.  If people can get a greyhound ticket up, they have it made.

  • Redmond Eastside

    This seems to be a low estimate.  The Redmond Reporter said that over the course of a year 2000 youths on the Eastside become homeless.  I remember reading higher numbers from the homeless counts. 

  • Dumb Polack

    “2000 youths on the Eastside become homeless.”

    Yes, that’s because most of the time ‘homeless’ doesn’t mean actually not having a roof over your head. By most bum-vocate advocates standards, crashing on your friend’s couch for a month makes you homeless.

  • http://www.allchainsawparts.com/ alliegladson

    I heard that many college students or youths have to go back to their parents house, because they can not afford apartment rent anymore.

  • Davey Jones

    Another homeless youth tragedy of our disadvantaged communities ignored by the mainstream media!