Washingtoner - Annual Snapshot Estimate of Spokane County's Homeless Population Shows Overall Decrease for Second Year in a Row

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~ Spokane County's Annual Homeless Count Shows Decline for Second Consecutive Year

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, a federally required count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, has shown a decline in the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in Spokane County for the second year in a row.

According to the count, which was executed on January 22 and surveyed 1,806 individuals representing 1,553 households across Spokane County, there has been a decrease in both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. This is attributed to an improved methodology used by organizers this year to enhance the accuracy of data collection.

Unlike previous years, volunteers were deployed with outreach teams to known areas where unsheltered individuals were located. This change helped reduce the likelihood of people being overlooked and allowed those known to be outdoors an opportunity to be surveyed. As a result, the data collected is more reflective of the population that outreach teams regularly engage with.

The number of people experiencing sheltered homelessness decreased from 1,578 people to 1,189 people. This can be partly attributed to improved coordination between emergency shelters and permanent stability through the new navigation center-specialized site model. Initial data from this model shows that 40 percent of individuals were placed into permanent supportive housing or reunited with friends and family.

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However, there was a slight increase in the number of unsheltered individuals from 443 to 617. This can be attributed to the new survey methodology focused on deploying volunteers and outreach teams to encampments.

Despite this increase, there was still a 16 percent vacancy rate (165 emergency shelter and inclement weather beds) across the system on the night of the count. It should be noted that many of these vacant beds are designated for youth and young adults.

The City of Spokane continues its efforts to expand shelter capacity based on actual utilization of facilities, ensuring that individuals who choose to come indoors have access to a safe place to stay. This strategy is reinforced by the City's investments in the Encampment Resolution Program and navigation center-specialized site model. Since the count was conducted, four encampments have been closed through the program with an 80 percent success rate of referrals to housing, and two specialized shelter sites have been added.

Other data points from the PIT Count include a decrease in the number of homeless veterans from 121 last year to 106 this year. Additionally, 81 percent of those counted were over the age of 25, and 43 percent reported suffering from serious mental illness. Substance use disorder was reported by 52 percent of adults surveyed, while 9 percent reported being survivors of domestic violence.

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The majority (70 percent) of people surveyed had lived in Spokane County before becoming homeless, with 14 percent from Washington state and another 14 percent from outside Washington state.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown expressed her encouragement at seeing a decline in overall homelessness for the second year in a row. She stated that this reinforces her administration's approach of consistent engagement and focusing on navigating individuals towards treatment, case management, and transitional housing.

Fawn Schott, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, also showed support for the community's efforts to help homeless individuals on their journey towards stability. She emphasized the importance of identifying those in need through the annual PIT Count and tailoring interventions to quickly assist them in meeting their goals.

Matthew Anderson, co-chair of the Spokane Regional Continuum of Care Board, highlighted how Spokane has observed a decline in total homelessness for two consecutive years. He attributed this success to the "all-of-the-above" approach taken by Mayor Brown's administration towards addressing housing and homelessness challenges in Spokane. He also noted that this is reflected in stabilized home sale prices and an increase in residential vacancy rates.

The results of the 2025 PIT Count show that progress is being made in reducing homelessness in Spokane County. With continued efforts and support from the community, it is hoped that this trend will continue in the years to come.

Filed Under: Government, City

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