Annual homeless count shows more people living in vehicles

King County’s annual one-night count of homelessness found more than half of homeless people were sleeping outside versus in shelter, with a stark increase in the number of vehicle campers.

The Seattle Times reports the county on Thursday announced an overall 4 percent increase in the annual snapshot count of homeless people, to 12,112.

The count, conducted in January, found a worsening problem of people living in tent camps, cars, RVs and the street compared to last year. More than 70 percent of the county’s unsheltered homeless people were in Seattle.

Kyra Zylstra, interim director of All Home, the county’s homelessness coordinating agency, which organizes the yearly count, said compared to more rapid rises in homeless counts over the past five years, a slower 4 percent increase represents progress.