The Lewis County Homeless Connect event was held in the Blue Pavilion at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds on Friday, Jan. 31.
Lewis County will hold two Homeless Connect events in 2025. The next one is in East Lewis County on Monday, Feb. 3.
The East Lewis County event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, at the Bob Lyle Community Center at 700 Main Ave., Morton.
Homeless Connect is held during the annual point-in-time (PIT) count to bring housing and homeless service providers to a central location for easy access for those needing their services.
“These events will be ‘One Stop’ events for supportive services, with multiple community service providers offered together, including veteran services, domestic violence providers, behavioral health providers and community-based organizations. Lunch and haircuts will be provided,” Lewis County said in a news release.
The Salvation Army, as the lead agency for Lewis County, is responsible for planning and conducting a PIT count of unsheltered persons who meet the definition established by the Washington state Department of Commerce of “unsheltered homeless person,” defined as a “person residing in a place not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings (or) on the street,” Lewis County said in the news release.
The Salvation Army is responsible for submitting PIT count data as required by the Washington state Department of Commerce. In 2024, the PIT counted 130 homeless residents in Lewis County, down from 153 in 2023 but still up from 120 in 2022. Of the 130 homeless residents counted in the 2024 PIT, 40 were unsheltered and 90 were sheltered in an emergency shelter, transitional housing or Safe Haven supportive housing, according to the report published by the Washington state Department of Commerce.
