How Washington's Homelessness Problem Compares To The Nation

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Seattle:

An estimated 582,462 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2022, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The agency notes that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could have led to a far higher number, but with government outreach and programs to prevent eviction through rental assistance, the national homelessness rate rose only by 0.3% from 2020 to 2022.

The number of unhoused people declined by 8.6%, or 54,615, since 2010, but more persons experience unsheltered homelessness. Two out of every five people without a home were living in an unsheltered setting, with the number of unsheltered homeless persons increasing by 3.4% from 2020 to 233,832 in 2022. As HUD points out, the rise in unsheltered homelessness outpaced the decrease in sheltered homeless persons.

A reported 25,211 people were experiencing homelessness in Washington in January 2022, and an estimated 50.2% of them were unsheltered, the ninth largest share among the 50 states.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Washington increased by 10.0% since 2020 and is up by 10.2% since 2010.

All data in this story is from the Office of Policy Development and Research.

Can't see the article's infographic? Click here to view the original story.

This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.