Annual homeless count could shed light on pandemic's impact
EVERETT — Officials will hold a formal count of Snohomish County’s homeless population Feb. 22, after the pandemic hampered the annual event last year.
The point-in-time count is an imperfect but important tool in tracking the local homeless population, its demographics and its needs. County and city officials use the data to apply for funding and to determine what projects can most help combat homelessness.
Last year was the county’s first chance to see how a raging pandemic affected the count. But safety concerns around COVID-19 meant half of the event was canceled.
“Here we are in the middle of COVID, and there’s a lot of discussion about what’s happening: Are the numbers increasing? Are the numbers decreasing?” said MJ Brell Vujovic, who directs the county’s Department of Human Services. “The truth is, without count numbers, we really aren’t in a position to say, other than anecdotally.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/annual-homeless-count-could-shed-light-on-pandemics-impact/