Snohomish County’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count will happen Thursday, Jan. 23, according to a news release.

The county’s Human Services Department, along with community and human service providers, will count individuals and families experiencing homelessness in emergency shelters, transitional housing or at places unintended for habitation.

The county will be divided into four quadrants: North County (Arlington, Marysville, Stanwood, Granite Falls and Darrington), East County (Sultan, Monroe, Snohomish and Lake Stevens), Central (Everett and Mukilteo) and South County (Lynwood, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace).

Following the PIT count, county staff, community and human service providers will conduct service-based counts through Jan. 29. They will count how many of the individuals and families they serve are experiencing homelessness.

The data helps secure federal and state funding to tackle homelessness, and it helps capture the scope of homelessness in the county. 

“While progress has been made since the initiation of the Point-in-Time Count in 2006, the community acknowledges the ongoing challenge of providing sustainable solutions for those experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness,” the county’s Human Services Department said in the news release.

On the night of Jan. 22 this year, the count identified 1,161 people who are living in a shelter, transitional housing or are unsheltered. Over 250 volunteers, county staff and other agencies helped with the count.

The PIT count in 2024 was down 9.6%, or 124 people, compared to 2023. 

Those interested in helping with the count can contact Snoco-PITCount@snoco.org or 425-388-3922.

– By Angelica Relente

Angelica Relente is a Murrow News Fellow covering housing and related issues in South Snohomish County for the My Neighborhood News Network. Contact her at angelica@myedmondsnews.com.