Homelessness still rising in Washington, state data shows

Homelessness is still on the rise in Washington, but data collected by the state Department of Commerce shows that the growth rate across much of the state slowed last year.

This comes as the state has been spending billions of dollars in recent years to expand affordable housing and help transition people out of homelessness. The Department of Commerce data is from the 2025 Point In Time Count, an annual count of people experiencing homelessness on one night in January.

Notably, the report did not include figures for unsheltered homelessness in King County, where Seattle is located. King County completes its full Point In Time Count in even-numbered years, which is why its unsheltered data was left out.

Historically, King County accounts for roughly 50% of the total state unsheltered results, according to the Department of Commerce. Unsheltered homelessness refers to people living on the streets or in other public places.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/homelessness-still-rising-in-washington-state-data-shows/