The report found that between 2022 and 2023, there was a 3% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness, and a 17% decrease in people identifying as newly homeless
VANCOUVER — Council for the Homeless has released its 2023 Homeless Crisis Response System Report for Clark County, Wash. The report found that between 2022 and 2023, there was a 3% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness, and a 17% decrease in people identifying as newly homeless. Despite these positive outcomes, homelessness in Clark County continues to be a persistent and ongoing crisis. Continued collaboration among the Clark County Homelessness System must continue.
According to the report, 8,752 people from 4,447 households experienced homelessness in 2023, with 58% identifying as “newly homeless.” Forty-two percent of households identified as “Black, Indigenous and people of color” (BIPOC). This illustrates the continued disproportionality of homelessness experienced by BIPOC communities in Clark County.
While the number of people and households reporting homelessness in 2023 was lower than in 2022, one year of data does not represent a trend. It can take at least five years for collected data to become a trend. “The Homeless Crisis Response System practices and programs are continuously evaluated for effectiveness, as well as to identify gaps in services and resources,” notes Sunny Wonder, chief operations officer at Council for the Homeless. “We intend to build upon the efforts that lead to a decrease in homelessness.”
What is a continuing trend is the lack of housing affordable to people with low to very low income and rent and move-in expenses that are out of reach for too many people. Some of the positive outcomes and improvements seen in 2023:
- 3% decrease in total people experiencing homelessness
- 17% decrease in people identifying as ‘newly homeless’
- 25% increase in people exiting Rapid Re-Housing to permanent housing
- Increase in the number of youth and young adults being housed
- Increase in Veterans exiting to housing
With nearly 9,000 people in our community experiencing homelessness over the course of 2023, and 5,000+ reporting they were newly homeless in that period, it is clear that the demand for services continues to be high. The need for ongoing investment in data-driven housing solutions in our community continues. “There are many people and organizations trying to solve homelessness in our community. The greater our collaboration, the greater our results will be for the entire community,” shares Sesany Fennie-Jones, executive director at Council for the Homeless.
The report is available at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/annual-system-data-2023/
A public dashboard displaying data from publicly-funded homeless services agencies, updated monthly, is available at www.councilforthehomeless.org/system-dashboard.
Council for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County. www.councilforthehomeless.org
Also read:
- Opinion: Were Republican voters just sleeping during the August primary election?
CCRP Chairman Matt Bumala says 60% of primary no-shows in the 17th and 18th districts were Republicans. - High school football: New coach prepares for long-term success at Prairie High School
James Young-Lewis, a Clark County native who graduated from Evergreen in 2009, became Prairie’s head coach in May after working as an assistant coach across various programs since 2015, joining Prairie’s staff in 2024. - Cost to battle 20 wildfires in WA has topped $200M
Twenty wildfires have cost Washington $207M in one month, more than two-thirds of what DNR spent all last fiscal year. - Opinion: WA Cares’ launch showcased care WA Cares did not provide
Gov. Ferguson showcased a caregiving arrangement at the WA Cares launch that the program had not paid for a single day of. - Former State Rep. Liz Pike provides update on husband Neil Cahoon
Neil Cahoon, a Camas resident, has undergone multiple surgeries including five on Aug. 15 after the Aug. 10 crash near La Center’s Daybreak Airport. - Opinion: Portland’s War on Cars Part 4 – A smarter automobile strategy to end gridlock
O’Toole argues fuel wasted in Portland-area congestion has sextupled since 1982, generating 250,000 tons of extra greenhouse gases annually. - $1,000 first prize for Camas Plein Air Art Event honoring Marquita Call on Sept. 26
Plein air artists compete Sept. 26 in Camas for $1,000 first prize honoring gallery founder Marquita Call.
