Report: More than 1,200 homeless in county
March 24, 2006
John Stark
Bellingham (WA) Herald
The latest countywide study found 1,255 homeless people in
Whatcom County this year.
That’s a big increase from the 839 counted last year,
but organizers of the effort say the increase reflects a much
bigger push to find homeless people, not a big upsurge in
homelessness here.
The count of homeless people was conducted on Jan. 26,
combining the efforts of 52 public and private agencies and
service organi-zations. The homeless count is part of what
the federal government requires in return for about $1.5
million per year in federal money to help the county’s
homeless. The effort was organized by the Whatcom County
Health Department, Whatcom County Housing Advisory Committee,
city of Bellingham and Whatcom County Homeless Coalition.
Gary Williams, the health department’s human services
supervisor, believes the actual number of homeless people is
higher than even this year’s more aggressive count.
“I still believe it’s an undercount,” Williams
said. “Part of the homeless population is really
somewhat frightened by authority or any kind of process that
counts them.”
The total also doesn’t include another 360 people who
were living day-to-day with friends or relatives after losing
their homes. Those people don’t meet the federal
definition of homelessness, Williams said.
For details on the report, read Friday's edition of The
Bellingham Herald.
Reach John Stark at 715-2274 or john.stark@bellinghamherald.com