Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) is concluding its annual Point in Time (PIT) count in Jefferson County to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered.

The nationwide count, which takes place every January, is conducted by agencies nationwide on the same night and is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PIT count guides federal funding to develop effective housing strategies. 

The 2024 count was published in December and showed Washington having the third largest homeless population, with 31,544 people experiencing homelessness. 

This year, the PIT count occurred on Jan. 30. OlyCAP will continue interviewing unhoused community members about their sleeping arrangements on Jan. 30 through Feb. 5 to allow for a more accurate count. 

“We go about and ask people where they slept that night,” said Peggy Webster, housing project manager at OlyCAP. “We ask certain questions that help us get data to know the ages, races and gender, and kind of how they got to be homeless. So, there’s an interview worksheet that you fill in as you interview each person.” 

OlyCAP will enter the worksheets into a database, which will later be compiled by HUD and shared in an annual report, Webster said. 

“It’s so hard for us to tell,” Webster said when asked if OlyCAP has noticed an increase in the homeless population during the count this year. “What has changed is that we are better organized and more on top of it. But, we won’t know the results until way down the road.” 

In tandem with the count, the joint Housing Fund Board of Jefferson County and Port Townsend, which distributes state funding to local homeless services like OlyCAP, hosted a conversation with unhoused individuals to gain insights into their needs. 

The board hosted the meeting on Jan. 31 at the Winter Welcoming Center in Port Townsend. 

“We can’t have this conversation without listening to your experiences, the people who are actually experiencing being unhoused or unstable housed,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette at the meeting. 

Participants were asked at the meeting to share what could have prevented their homelessness, how the Housing Fund Board could better assist them now and what would help them end their homelessness. 

Many highlighted the need for better communication about available resources, a greater emphasis on individualized support and access to essential services like showers and laundry. Several participants mentioned the importance of addressing and minimizing the stigmatization of homeless individuals. 

The insights shared will play a crucial role in the Housing Fund Board’s Five-Year Homeless Housing Plan, Dudley-Nollette said.

“We really want to build this plan with your input,” she said. 

The plan, aimed at improving housing affordability in the county, will be adopted in December.