The rate is still rising and more action is needed to reverse the trends
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The growth rate in homelessness in Washington slowed in 2025, according to results from the annual Point In Time (PIT) count and the Department of Commerce’s Snapshot of Homelessness report. The number is still too high, said Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn.
On Jan. 30, 22,173 people were counted as experiencing homelessness in Washington,
excluding King County’s unsheltered count, during the PIT count. Of those, 33% were experiencing unsheltered homelessness and 67% were experiencing sheltered homelessness in locations such as emergency shelters, transitional housing and Safe Haven. It’s a 4.4% increase since 2024 and a 25% increase overall since 2022. From 2023 to 2025, the rate of increase was 8.7%.The growth rate was similarly slower and the overall count higher in Commerce’s Snapshot report, which combines client information from three state agency data systems to provide the most comprehensive estimate of the homeless and unstably housed population in the state. That report found 158,791 people in emergency shelters or unhoused in January 2025, a 2.2% increase from 155,356 in January 2024 and an 8.9% increase from 145,736 in January 2022. That data includes the King County figures.
“Too many people in our communities don’t know where they’re going to sleep at night, or if they’ll be safe when they try to rest,” Director Nguyễn said. “Thanks to support from the Legislature and Governor Ferguson, Commerce is investing in programs that help people stay housed, and provide a path back to stability for those who need it.”
Commerce provides training, data collection software and technical assistance to the 34 small- and medium-sized counties in Washington and produces the statewide results. 2025 PIT Count data is available on the Commerce Point in Time Count site, and includes the statewide summary, infographic and results by county.
The Snapshot results, as measured in January of each year (includes King County unsheltered count), and the PIT results both show a continued but slowed increase in homelessness in Washington. For the PIT results, totals exclude King County unsheltered results. There was not a PIT count in 2021 due to COVID-19.
| Year | Snapshot results | Point in Time results |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 158,791 | 22,173 |
| 2024 | 155,356 | 21,230 |
| 2023 | 159,525 | 20,399 |
| 2022 | 145,736 | 17,767 |
| 2021 | 142,481 | No count due to COVID-19 restrictions |
| 2020 | 142,622 | 22,293 |
The Legislature invested about $1.8 billion over the 2025-27 biennium into housing and homelessness, including Commerce programs such as the Housing Trust Fund, Connecting Housing to Infrastructure (CHIP), and adult, family, and youth homelessness programs.
The Legislature also added new funding streams and adjusted some programs, including allowing jurisdictions to conduct the unsheltered PIT count every other year instead of annually. King County completes its full PIT in even-numbered years, which is why its unsheltered data was excluded from reporting this year. Historically, King County accounts for roughly 50% of the total state unsheltered results. For data consistency and to identify trends, King County unsheltered data from 2024 and 2022 totals has been removed.
While the PIT count is a valuable tool for comparing states on a single night every year, it is not the most reliable assessment of homelessness. Results are influenced by weather, shelter bed availability, number of volunteers, different methodologies used by counties, and other factors. That’s why Commerce completes the Snapshot report.
The Snapshot report uses consistent data methodologies, which means the data is comparable across counties and over time. All of the Snapshot reports are available on Commerce’s website.
“No matter how we look at it, homelessness is an emergency in Washington,” Director Nguyễn said. “Thanks to the Legislature’s historic investment, Commerce is ready to take action to help people across the state find and keep stable, safe and secure housing.”
Commerce remains committed to working with counties and service providers to address homelessness in line with the 2024-29 State Homeless Housing Strategic Plan. Key areas of focus include ensuring access to services, strengthening the homeless service provider workforce, implementing effective prevention programs, prioritizing people at the greatest risk of harm, and creating housing options that meet the diverse needs of people experiencing homelessness. The data from the PIT and the Snapshot of Homelessness continue to inform Commerce’s administration of state grants and programs and provide key metrics of housing and homelessness need for each of Washington’s communities.
PIT results are reported to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PIT count is a national standard and can be used to compare all 50 states.
HUD CFR Part 578 and RCW 46.185C.030 mandate data collection for the PIT and the Housing Inventory Count. Data from the PIT is reported in the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, which is shared with Congress and other governing bodies to inform local planning on homelessness services and funding needs. Complete information is available on the Commerce Point in Time Count site and associated Box file.
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