More than half of people in Thurston County's 2023 homeless count were unsheltered

Thurston County's homeless population is at least 749 people, on any given night.

That's according to preliminary data from the county's 2023 point-in-time homeless count conducted on Jan. 26, and reported by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

The numbers reflect a count of unsheltered people, folks staying in shelters, or those in transitional housing programs. There were 50 people staying in transitional housing, and 274 people in emergency shelter. More than half of those counted, 425 people, were unsheltered. This group was counted in sanctioned/unsanctioned encampments, RVs, vehicles, doorways or "other places not meant for human habitation."

In 2022, Thurston County counted 766 people, based on a count held on Feb. 24 of that year. The majority of those counted in 2022, just like this year, were unsheltered. Thurston County Public Health points out, however, that 2022's count was "based on an abbreviated survey," while 2023's was more extensive.

Thurston County's numbers for 2022 and 2023 are down from 2021, when 1,145 people were counted as experiencing homelessness. A total of 995 were counted in 2020.

Nearby King County no longer does a point-in-time count, but service providers are taking a longer term tally. Data for 2022 should be released in April.

A previous version of this story reported that 792 people were counted in Thurston County's point-in-time count for 2023. This post has been updated to reflect that Thurston County Public Health and Social Services later adjusted that number to 749 people counted.

Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.