To help address homelessness throughout our region, Issaquah participated in the One Night Count for the first time.
Each January, the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness organizes volunteers to help count men, women, and children who are outside during one winter night. In King County, volunteers found 4,505 people living without shelter — including 245 people counted on the Eastside — during the Jan. 28-29, 2016, One Night Count.
The results show a 19 percent increase over last year in the numbers of people without shelter.
The number of unsheltered people who were seen by volunteer counters went up most dramatically in South King County cities. Seattle also saw an increase, despite having a number of count areas closed off due to the recent shooting in a well-known greenbelt area along Interstate 5.
One Night Count data provides information about the scope of the need, serves as a community call to action, and kicks off a full year of education and action activities by the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness.
To learn more about the One Night Count, visit homelessinfo.org.
If you or someone you know is experiencing housing instability or is without shelter, call 211 for helpful referrals.