{"id":17821,"date":"2022-01-11T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/invisiblepeople.tv\/?p=17821"},"modified":"2022-10-09T05:57:02","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T09:57:02","slug":"seattles-new-way-of-measuring-homelessness-produces-startling-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/invisiblepeople.tv\/seattles-new-way-of-measuring-homelessness-produces-startling-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle’s New Way of Measuring Homelessness Produces Startling Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officials in Seattle believe they have developed a more accurate way of counting the number of people experiencing homelessness during a given time. It’s already producing startling results.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a\u00a0<\/span>report<\/span><\/a>\u00a0released in mid-December, more than 40,800 people experiencing homelessness in the Seattle metropolitan area last year compared to the 11,700 counted under the federal Point in Time Count (PIT) method. This total includes more than 7,300 people who fell through the cracks of the HMIS.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report was developed by the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), Seattle-King County Public Health, and the King County Information Technology using cross-sectional data from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and state-level databases.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the second consecutive year that Seattle authorities have used their alternative method to count the number of people experiencing homelessness in their region. The authorities opted out of the PIT last year due to COVID-19 and are working with the federal government to ensure the method meets the appropriate guidelines.<\/span><\/h4>\n

One of the issues with the PIT method is that it only considers data collected by volunteers on a single night in January. This often limits the results to include those sleeping in emergency shelters or unsheltered. It leads to a significant undercount, despite its results being used to allocate federal dollars to state service providers.<\/span><\/p>\n

DCHS said that the PIT data also does not account for the people who become homeless or the number of people who experienced homelessness at any point during the year. For example, the report identified more than 13,500 individuals who became newly homeless in the Seattle area last year and another 19,000 people who were homeless at any point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marc Dones, who leads the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA),\u00a0<\/span>told<\/span><\/a>\u00a0the Seattle Times that he hopes the community will glean a new understanding of homelessness from the results. He also hopes it will help city leaders understand the investment size needed to solve the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Good management means using the most accurate data available and adjusting what you do as you learn more,” KCRHA\u00a0<\/span>wrote<\/span><\/a>. “As we get better at the data integration process, the number going up is actually a good thing because it means we know more about who we serve and what they need.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Leo Flor, DCHS director, told the Seattle Times that the 40,800 figure the team tallied is not perfect but represents a significant step in the right direction.<\/span><\/h4>\n

“The premise is you can’t solve a problem you don’t understand,” Flor said.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the cost of living increases faster than local wages, experts believe homelessness may increase in the coming years. This has led many communities to reconsider how they measure homelessness in their area to better serve those in need.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, Kansas City, Missouri, is among a handful of cities that will deploy new technology allowing service providers and outreach workers access to a database of their clients year-round. Called “Show the Way,” the app is designed to “supplement the yearly survey of homeless people by providing a more thorough story about an individual’s life and habits over time,” according to a local\u00a0<\/span>NPR report<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other cities using Show the Way include Houston, Texas; Charleston, West Virginia; and Vancouver, Washington. These cities are also using the app to track:<\/span><\/h4>\n