Fast facts
- An estimated 8,300 people in King County are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, it's estimated that 24,000 people will experience homelessness.
- Children make up 39% of America's homeless population.
- Veterans comprise 25-33% of the homeless population nationally.
- It's estimated that more than 70,000 people in King County worry about food for themselves and their families.
- A family in King County must earn about 2.5 times the minimum wage to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
- 1 in 10 children in King County lives in poverty.
- People of color are significantly over-represented in the homeless population. While people of color comprise approximately
27% of the general population in King County, they represent 57% of all people who are homeless.
- 1 in 5 homeless people is employed.
- Domestic violence cause many women to become homeless. There are approximately 12,500 incidents of domestic violence reported to local sheriffs and police each year in King County.
- Every year approximately 40 homeless people die outside on the streets of King County.
- In a recent poll conducted by United Way, King County residents said homelessness is one of the three most important issues facing the county, and an overwhelming majority—84%—believe that it can be solved.
- Across the nation, we are seeing ten-year plans to end homelessness succeed. New York City reduced the number of children in homeless shelters by 30% in three years and dropped the overall shelter population by 20% in that same time. Cleveland reduced the number of people in homeless shelters by 46% in six years. King County's Ten-Year Plan is using proven practices that work.
Reports
Other Information
View information from the Healthcare Safety Net: Shared Information Community Forum October 24, 2007
May 2007 United Way of King County Cross Systems Report
Whatcom County, Washington: A Community Health Information Network with Personal Health Record
Washtenaw County, Michigan: A Safety Net Data Warehouse
Rich Moyer presentation - What is Possible in King County: Technology View
Washington State Health Care Authority's presentation - What is Possible in King County: Technology View
What is Possible in King County: Legal Views
Resources from Washtenaw County
Confidentiality Policy
Consent to Treatment and Services
Release of Information
Notice of Privacy Practices & Consumer Complaints
Books
- Helping America's Homeless: Emergency Shelter or Affordable Housing, Martha R. Burt
- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, Barbara Ehrenreich
- Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America, Jonathan Kozol
- Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women, Elliot Liebow
- The Working Poor: Invisible in America, David K. Shipler
Volunteer opportunities
Visit unitedwayofkingcounty.org/volunteer to find volunteers opportunities with organizations that serve people who are homeless. It's the most comprehensive volunteer database in King County.
United Way of King County's partners in ending homelessness
National organizations working to end homelessness
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