What if we could address homelessness before it happens? In King County, the only way we can make this a reality is if the county invests more resources in keeping people safe through rental assistance and eviction prevention. The county’s new Point-in-Time Count, which shows the highest number of homeless people on record, will grow if we don’t help our neighbors stay housed.
While the correlation between evictions and homelessness has been debated, research shows that pandemic-era funding and eviction moratoriums help people stay housed and therefore reduce the likelihood of further homelessness.
It should come as no surprise that King County has seen a 23% increase in homelessness since 2022, when the last Point-in-Time was taken. According to King County Public Health data, from August 2020 to May 2022, about 9% of adults in the King-Pierce-Snohomish county area had no housing payments. This is higher among adults who identify as non-Hispanic Black or lower income (up to 25%). Housing assistance, the county said, was the most common social service need among callers to King County’s 211 helpline during the same period.
The federal response to unsafe housing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the crisis from getting worse.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said in its 2023 Homelessness Annual Report that pandemic-era federal funding — including rental assistance — helped more than 400,000 households exit or avoid homelessness last year. The department added that ending some pandemic-era protections such as rental assistance and an eviction moratorium has led to a drastic increase in homelessness rates.
In May 2022, King County officials put United Way in charge of the federally funded emergency rental assistance program. In partnership with local governments, United Way processes more than $200 million in federal funding for rental assistance and eviction protection, distributing funds for rent paid and rent up front. At one time, United Way distributed approximately $1 million per week in rental assistance.
United Way is also partnering with Housing Connector, a national technology-driven non-profit organization started in Seattle that has worked with thousands of landlords to get early indications of when households are falling behind on rent and deliver the right interventions to stabilize families – at an average cost $525 per person. In contrast, the estimated cost of homelessness is more than $35,000 per person. This solution demonstrates at home what the health care industry has known for years; prevention is better than cure.
There is no indication that pandemic-era federal funding will be renewed. Meanwhile, The waiting list for people who need rental assistance has grown from a few hundred to as many as 1,600 applicants added every month. Also gone are state and local eviction moratoriums related to COVID that helped people stay. That means many people waiting for rental assistance won’t receive it in time to avoid eviction. After this happens, people rely on the will of family and friends or local organizations and service providers. But for many, even those run out, and living on the streets or in shelters is a reality.
We applaud the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Housing Advisory Plan for 2023 through 2028, which includes increasing access to financing support and increasing financing options for affordable housing.
We believe that reducing the number of people living on the streets of King County will take the area, a prevention-centered approach that the entire county should get behind. We call for increased resources from state, county, and local governments to address housing instability and homelessness throughout the region. Without eviction prevention and rental assistance, don’t expect the Point-in-Time Count to decrease anytime soon.
