King County will not conduct its count of people experiencing homelessness in 2022
King County will skip its annual count of people living unsheltered in the region next year, saying the way the count is done often results in an undercount which yields fewer federal resources and doesn’t accurately reflect the scope of the problem.
Local service providers are required to report the number of homeless in their area to the Federal Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) every two years to receive federal funding. However, the King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) has traditionally provided a count every year.
The count is known officially as a “point-in-time” count. It’s conducted by volunteers during one night in January. On its website, the county outlined its decision for not performing a point-in-time count in 2022.
“Because of the methodology, the PIT is widely understood to be an undercount, which can be harmful in skewing the narrative and limiting the budget and resources dedicated to solutions,” KCRHA wrote.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/king-county-will-not-conduct-point-in-time-count-16653831.php