King County homelessness rises as unsheltered numbers jump
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Tents in Seattle's Pioneer Square earlier this year. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
The number of people experiencing homelessness in King County rose 9% between 2024 and 2026, according to a new point-in-time count released Tuesday.
The big picture: The continued rise in homelessness in the Seattle area comes after years of efforts to get people into housing — and 11 years after Seattle and King County declared homelessness a public emergency.
How it works: The point-in-time count aims to measure how many people are living outside or in temporary shelter at a given time.
- The latest count was conducted between Jan. 26 and Feb. 6.
By the numbers: This year's tally estimated that 18,365 people were experiencing homelessness countywide, up from 16,868 in 2024.
- More than 11,800 people were living unsheltered this year — meaning they were on the street or in a place not designated for sleeping, such as a car or abandoned building.
- That's up from 9,810 unsheltered people who were counted two years ago — an increase of nearly 21%.
What they're saying: The King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which released the numbers Tuesday, said in a news release that the numbers point to "some stabilization" in the homeless population, "even as the overall need continues to rise."
- The total homeless population rose much faster between 2022 and 2024, when it spiked 26% over two years, the agency noted.
The homelessness authority has recently come under intense scrutiny after an audit flagged years of financial problems inside the agency.
Stunning stat: Emergency shelter units have actually decreased countywide since last year — although the report also says there has been a rise in permanent supportive housing units.
In a written statement, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson pointed to high housing costs and evictions as drivers of the rise in homelessness.
- "'[W]e're simply not doing enough to keep up with the scale of our housing and homelessness crisis," Wilson said in a statement emailed to Axios.
What we're watching: How the numbers may shape attempts to reform the regional homelessness authority — and whether Wilson's efforts to open new shelter units and build housing more quickly will have any effect.