EDITORIAL: Focus efforts on families to reduce homelessness
May 26-The difficulty in effectively addressing homelessness in our community is demonstrated by the difficulty in quantifying it. Yet while assessments of the issue are imperfect, the latest numbers are encouraging.
According to data recently released by the Council for the Homeless, Clark County's unhoused population declined from 1,530 people in 2025 to 1,260 this year. The annual Point-in-Time Count indicates an 18 percent reduction in homelessness, reflecting strong investments by taxpayers and governments to build and preserve housing, provide outreach in the community and connect people with social services.
"Counting fewer people outside - that is a win all day," Jamie Spinelli, the city of Vancouver's homeless response manager, told The Columbian. "But it's so important not to view that as the end of addressing homelessness."
Few local residents would argue that homelessness has ended; encampments remain prominent. As Adam Kravitz, executive director of nonprofit Outsiders Inn, said: "We are seeing a decrease, and the progress is (from) all the providers and a coordinated effort. But the need is still there."
Most important, experts say, is an increase in the number of homeless families. That cohort can be difficult to enumerate, with families rarely being seen in the tents that visibly line sidewalks or in settlements next to freeway offramps. The latest count identified 170 families with children - a 16 percent increase from 2025. Scott Kerman of Share said, "The worry has always been that the Point-in-Time Count represents an undercount of families . . . and that the number does not really speak to who is truly out there."
Families must be the focus of efforts to reduce homelessness. As the American Psychological Association wrote in a 2024 report: "Homelessness can have a tremendous impact on children, from their education, physical and mental health, sense of safety, and overall development."
While we can discuss the causes and personal responsibility involved with adult homelessness, unhoused children are there through no fault of their own. And the circumstances can lead to a lifetime of being a burden on social services and the justice system. As one report summarizes: "Childhood homelessness is one of the most costly social issues, with lifetime and annual economic burdens far exceeding the cost of prevention."
The National Alliance to End Homelessness points to a shortage of affordable housing as the primary cause of unhoused families. That has been a focus of local efforts, with Vancouver voters twice approving affordable housing found over the past decade.
The latest iteration of the property-tax levy is designed to raise $100 million from 2024 through 2033. The city of Vancouver uses that funding to build and preserve long-term affordable housing; provide temporary shelter; and provide rental assistance. Constructing and preserving housing is essential for preventing family homelessness, which is not addressed by the city's successful Safe Stay communities.
Yet while a trip around Clark County reveals that homelessness remains a pressing concern, there is evidence that community efforts are having an impact. In assessing spending, the question is not whether the issue has been solved, but whether it would be more pronounced without our investments. That can be difficult to measure, even with the Point-in-Time Count.
As one local expert said: "It's a single snapshot of a moving target. But it can never capture the full scope of what's happening on the ground."
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