Cowlitz County Homeless Point In Time Census Count 2023 2024 in Washington State - Love Overwhelming Podcast

 The Truth About Cowlitz County’s Homeless Numbers—And What They Don’t Tell You

Each January, Cowlitz County conducts the Point in Time (PIT) count, a one-night snapshot of homelessness in our community. This year, the count recorded 337 homeless individuals, slightly higher than 2023’s 318.

At first glance, the data suggests more people are sheltered, and fewer families with children are experiencing homelessness. But these numbers don’t tell the full story. What’s missing from the data, and how do we move from counting people to actually solving homelessness?

What the PIT Count Shows

The 2024 PIT count recorded:

  • 203 people in shelters, compared to 181 in 2023
  • 134 people unsheltered, compared to 137 in 2023
  • 84 people in transitional housing, compared to 78 in 2023
  • 27 homeless families with children, down from 99 in 2023

At first glance, these numbers suggest progress. More people are indoors, and fewer families are counted as homeless. But the PIT count is just a snapshot, and it doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Problem With One-Night Data

Homelessness isn’t a one-night event. The PIT count only captures those visible on a single day each year, leaving out critical factors.

  • Families who move in with relatives or stay in motels may no longer be counted, even though they are still homeless.
  • Cold weather can temporarily push more people into shelters, making it appear that fewer people are living outdoors.
  • Changes in local programs impact the numbers. In 2024, the PIT count included the Salvation Army’s Hope House, but it did not include CAP’s Home Again program, shifting the numbers rather than reducing homelessness.

Moving Beyond the Numbers

Love Overwhelming provides real solutions and our programs offer peer support, housing assistance, harm reduction, and employment opportunities. Services like Community Threads NW, our social enterprise, help people transition from homelessness to stability by providing jobs and skill-building opportunities.

What Needs to Change?

  • Increased funding for year-round shelter and housing programs
  • Expanded mental health and addiction recovery services
  • More employment and supportive housing programs that address long-term stability
  • Development and funding for family vehicle residency safe parking 
  • Development and funding of day services including access to showers, laundry, peer support staff, community health workers and daily living essentials. 

How You Can Make a Difference

  • Support Love Overwhelming by donating to fund year-round solutions
  • Subscribe to the Love Overwhelming Podcast 
  • Attend a Love Overwhelming Coffee & Conversation event to hear real stories, community solutions, and learn how to help
  • Purchase from Communitythreadsnw.org, where each custom shirt, coffee mug, button & Sticker supports jobs for people in work development, recovery, and internship opportunities. 
  • Stay informed by subscribing to and sharing the Love Overwhelming Podcast
  • Share this post to help others understand that homelessness is more than a number

The PIT count gives us a glimpse of homelessness in Cowlitz County, but real change comes from action, not just data. Let’s work toward to extend hope to our unhoused neighbors.  We have seen when people are supported that hope and purpose is developed.  Hope and purpose guide people in their lifes journey and recovery!  -CH

Link to TDN article https://tdn.com/news/local/health/cowlitz-county-point-in-time-homelessness/article_53644fdc-df41-11ef-a287-2ba9d1afe1d0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

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