Little Change Found in Homeless Numbers

But Slowing Economy, Rising Costs Could Mean an Increase, Report's Authors Say

The number of homeless people in the Washington region is virtually unchanged since last year, according to a study released yesterday.

The eighth annual count, compiled for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, found 11,752 homeless people, including 2,879 children, living in the District and its suburbs, 10 fewer than last year.

"The overall numbers are about the same. We are at least staying flat," said William Macmillan of the Department of Systems Management for Human Services in Fairfax County, who presented this year's report. He also serves on the COG's homeless services planning committee.

The region's housing downturn and slumping economy might have an impact on homelessness in coming months, authors of the report said.

Slowing construction has taken a toll on workers in service, building and landscaping jobs, providers of homeless services say. In addition, dramatic increases in gas, utility and food costs are affecting families across the region.

Overall, 24 percent of single homeless people and 47 percent of homeless adults in families were working, according to the report.

The highest levels of employment were found in Fairfax County and Falls Church, where 65.6 percent of adults in families were working, and in Montgomery County, where 64.5 percent of adults in families were working. The District had the lowest percentage of employed adults in families, at 26.5 percent.

This year's figures were gathered on a single day, Jan. 24, by shelter providers and volunteers, who canvassed tent villages, shelters, soup kitchen ministries and transitional housing programs in the District and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

They found that the number of homeless people rose in the District, Frederick and Montgomery counties, as well as in Fairfax and Falls Church. The numbers fell in Alexandria, as well as in Arlington, Loudoun, Prince George's and Prince William counties, according to this year's findings.

Macmillan said that tighter rules for data collection might have reduced the numbers reflected by this year's count. They eliminated a category for people thought to be homeless but whose status was unknown on the day of the count.

In addition to the 11,752 homeless people, the count found 4,395 formerly homeless individuals and members of families living in permanent supportive housing in the region.

Jurisdictions across the country are hoping to reduce their homeless population by investing in Housing First programs, which focus on getting homeless people into housing and then providing them with long-term medical and social services to address their problems, said D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), who heads COG's human services policy committee. He acknowledged the debate over the effectiveness of the programs, but said that area results show promise.

"We need more than temporary hypothermia shelters. We could build shelters forever," he said. "We need to help people stay housed."

The District has allocated a total of $19.2 million to a Housing First initiative that is expected to house 400 chronically homeless single people and 80 families.

"This allocation will decrease chronic homelessness by 23 percent and family homelessness by 42 percent," Wells said.