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Snohomish County to account for every person experiencing homelessness
Snohomish County is working to understand the scope of homelessness across their area.
EVERETT, Wash. - Snohomish County officials began their annual effort Tuesday to count every person experiencing homelessness across the region, a data-collection process required to secure vital state and federal funding.
What we know:
The point-in-time count, which provides a statistical snapshot of the county’s unhoused population, officially kicked off at 8 a.m. and was scheduled to run through 8 p.m. It's always done during the last two weeks of January.
The Snohomish County Department of Human Services has divided the county into four quadrants. Teams are tasked with systematically locating and documenting unsheltered individuals, including those living in:
- Vehicles and abandoned buildings.
- Jails or care facilities (if they have been there for fewer than 90 days).
The figures gathered Tuesday will be combined with existing data from emergency shelters and transitional housing programs to create a final report for 2026.
While King County began its count on Monday, Snohomish County officials noted that their methodologies differ slightly but serve the same ultimate purpose: securing resources. The data is a prerequisite for receiving government grants that support housing programs and social services.
By the numbers:
Last year’s census recorded 1,140 people, a figure that remained largely stagnant compared to 2024. Data from previous years highlighted significant challenges within the unhoused community, noting that a majority of those surveyed reported struggling with serious mental illness or substance abuse issues.
Officials are expected to use this year’s data to determine where funding is most needed, though specific projects for the upcoming fiscal year have not yet been finalized.
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