WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Health and Community Services, in tandem with the Opportunity Council, have released their annual Snapshot on Whatcom County Homelessness report.

The new report shows that rates of homelessness in Whatcom County are rising at about the same rate as others are finding permanent shelter. It also found that the amount of people experiencing homelessness has stayed fairly consistent over the past year.

A lack of affordable housing is the main reason why people are homeless, and the report states that affordable housing programs throughout the county have been largely successful.

Housing Program Supervisor Chris D’Onofrio says that while that’s great news, demand is far outpacing the supply of available housing. He added that about one in five eligible families were able to get a referral for permanent and affordable housing in 2023.

Whatcom County’s annual Point In Time Count has typically been used as the primary data source for their annual report.

However, participation in the Point In Time Count is voluntary – meaning the actual number of individuals experiencing homelessness has been frequently undercounted.

The Housing Pool, which tracks information on all individuals seeking shelter services, was one of the new data sources used in this year’s report.