Olympia, Wash. Becomes Fifth U.S. City to Collect Data on All Single Adults Experiencing Homelessness

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Community Solutions announced that Thurston County, Wash., including the state capital Olympia, became the fifth community nationwide to obtain real-time by-name data on all single adults experiencing homelessness.

"We can't solve homelessness if we don't know who's experiencing it," said Beth Sandor, chief program officer at Community Solutions. "Achieving quality by-name data is a critical milestone in the journey to solve homelessness -- one that will equip Thurston County leaders to connect people experiencing homelessness with the right supports and housing for their specific circumstances."

Most cities rely on the annual Point-in-Time Count, which only tallies the number of unsheltered people once a year. Quality by-name data is a comprehensive source of information on every person experiencing homelessness, including their name, history with homelessness, and health and housing needs. Outreach teams collect the data with consent and update it monthly.

Unlike the annual count, real-time data allows cities to evaluate whether their strategies reduce homelessness over time. It also enables communities to prioritize resources and monitor whether homelessness reductions are racially equitable.

Thurston County reached this milestone through participating in Built for Zero, an initiative of more than 100 U.S. cities and counties using data to measurably and equitably end homelessness. Next, the Thurston County team will focus on reducing chronic homelessness in the area.

Four other Built for Zero communities -- Fairfax County, Va., Washoe County, Nev., Missoula, Mont., and St. Louis, Mo. -- have secured by-name data for all single adults. More than 65 Built for Zero communities have achieved quality by-name data for at least one homeless population.

"This milestone brings us one step closer to solving homelessness in our community," said Keylee Marineau, homeless response program manager at Thurston County's Office of Housing & Homelessness Prevention. "Our team will continue to strive towards addressing racial disparities and centering the invaluable contributions of people who have experienced homelessness in our response efforts."

About Community Solutions
Community Solutions is a nonprofit committed to making homelessness rare and brief. It leads Built for Zero, a network of more than 100 U.S. communities using a data-driven methodology to improve local housing and homelessness response systems and the impact they can achieve. To date, 14 communities have reached functional zero veteran and or chronic homelessness, a milestone for homelessness being rare and brief for a population. Learn more at www.community.solutions or follow us at @CmtySolutions.

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