Council For The Homeless Releases 2026 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count (Photo) - 05/18/26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Council for the Homeless Releases 2026 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count for Clark County 

VANCOUVER, Wash. (May 18, 2026) — Council for the Homeless (CFTH) released the 2026 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count results, a one-day census conducted on January 29, 2026, that documents the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Clark County. The data, which is collected as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Washington State Department of Commerce, is available in full at: https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/point-in-time-count/. 

While the PIT Count provides a valuable snapshot of homelessness on a single day, CFTH emphasizes that the PIT Count does not capture the full scope of homelessness in the region. As the lead agency for the homeless response system, CFTH will follow today’s release with its annual system numbers report this summer, providing a comprehensive analysis of the state of homelessness in Clark County throughout an entire year.

“The PIT Count allows us to collect and analyze data on one specific day and compare it to previous years,” says Sunny Wonder, chief operating officer. “Our coordinated outreach efforts work with teams throughout the county to connect with as many folks living outside and within shelters as we are able.”

Data from partner service locations and school districts are also included in the PIT Count totals. CFTH Project Homeless Connect (PHC) event takes place on the same day each year to help the agency connect with more people, while providing direct services and resources. This year, PHC serviced 340 individuals, more than a quarter of the total PIT Count throughout the day.

2026 PIT Count Highlights: 

1. People in Emergency Shelter decreased 15% due to fewer winter shelter beds available in 2026.
2. People in Transitional Housing (TH) decreased 46% from 2025 due to TH beds converted to Permanent Housing.
3. Number of seniors aged 62 or older decreased 50%; unsheltered seniors decreased by 9 individuals.
4. Unsheltered people decreased 11% from the 2025 count. This decrease was among single individuals or households without children. Chronically homeless sheltered individuals decreased 31% from 2025 while chronically homeless unsheltered individuals increased by 8%. Unsheltered veterans increased by 2 people.
5. There was a 21% increase in the number of people counted within unsheltered families in 2026.

Another area that saw increase this year was the number of people who identified as Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), which made up 40%, and specifically the Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander community which saw a 6% increase from 2025. BIPOC community members only make up 26% of the population in Clark County (ACS 2024), so this is an overrepresentation.

A lack of affordable housing continues to be a leading factor for housing instability in the area. All income levels are affected, especially people living 30% or more below the Area Median Income level. This makes it challenging for people to move out of emergency shelter and transition into stable housing.

Council for the Homeless is dedicated to partnering with local residents, public and private partners, and community leaders to address the root causes of homelessness and increase sustainable solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County.

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About Council for the Homeless: Council for the Homeless (CFTH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Clark County, WA, by providing community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to solve homelessness on an individual and community level. Founded in 1989, CFTH serves as the lead agency and coordinated entry for the delivery of homeless services through the Continuum of Care for Homeless Services in Clark County, WA. 

Clark County Expands Winter Shelter Coverage, Providing Nearly 14,000 Safe Sleeps To 475 Unduplicated People (Photo) - 04/29/26

VANCOUVER, Wash. (April 28, 2026) — A coordinated, community-wide effort ensured hundreds of Clark County residents had a safe place to stay during the coldest months of the year. During the 2025-2026 winter season, the Severe Weather Taskforce connected 475 unduplicated people experiencing homelessness to winter and severe weather shelters that provided a total of 13,748 safe sleeps.

This year’s response emphasized consistent, seven-day-a-week access to shelters across winter hospitality overflow (WHO) and satellite overflow (SOS) sites from November through March. These sites included:

• St. Andrew Lutheran’s WHO site, operated by Share, provided 6,094 safe sleeps to 152 people.
• St. Paul Lutheran’s WHO, operated by Outsider’s Inn, provided 3,993 safe sleeps to 54 people.
• Immanuel Lutheran’s SOS site provided 2,846 safe sleeps to 108 people.

In addition, Living Hope Church operated as a severe weather shelter, providing 815 safe sleeps to 211 individuals during extreme weather events.

Throughout the season, the Severe Weather Taskforce and Council for the Homeless, which leads the coordinated efforts behind the scenes, issued 36 Severe Weather Alerts. Alerts are signaled when temperatures in Clark County are forecasted to drop below 36 degrees or when hazardous conditions such as snow, ice, or flooding threaten those living unsheltered. These alerts, as issued over the 2025-2026 winter season, mobilized additional shelter capacity and coordinated community response when it was needed most.

Beyond shelter beds, outreach teams played a crucial role in connecting people to safety. Expanded efforts during evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays helped ensure individuals could access shelter and essential supplies outside traditional service hours.

“Winter response is about more than opening doors during extreme cold; it’s about building a system people can rely on every night,” said Sesany Fennie-Jones, chief executive officer of Council for the Homeless. “This season reflects what’s possible when partners align with urgency and consistency.”

Together, these efforts added flexible capacity, increasing available beds by an estimated 55 – 100 spaces each night, while strengthening coordination across providers.

While winter has ended, the need for shelter and support continues year-round. The Severe Weather Taskforce and Council for the Homeless seek community support through donations of hygiene supplies, rain gear, tents, and blankets. Planning is also underway for summer response, including volunteer support during extreme heat events.

Ongoing partnerships and community investment remain essential to preventing and ending homelessness in Clark County.

More information, including how to donate essential supplies, is available at councilforthehomeless.org.

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About Council for the Homeless: Council for the Homeless (CFTH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Clark County, WA, by providing community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to solve homelessness on an individual and community level. Founded in 1989, CFTH serves as the lead agency and coordinated entry for delivery of homeless services through the Continuum of Care for Homeless Services in Clark County, WA.