Mirror staff reports:

The 33rd annual One Night Count of homeless people in King County took place in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 25.

More than 800 volunteers spread out across the county to count the people who were homeless and sleeping outdoors without shelter between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. At least 2,736 men, women, and children were without shelter during the three-hour street count.

The city with the highest count was Seattle with 1,989. Among cities in South King County, Federal Way had 118, Renton had 83, Auburn had 57, and Kent had 53.

Volunteers counted people trying to survive in cars and tents, riding late night buses, or curled up in blankets under bridges or in doorways. That same night, staff at agencies that operate shelters and transitional housing programs recorded select information about the people staying in their programs. Staff at the Homeless Housing Program of King County’s Community Services Division compiled the data.

Among the 118 people counted in Federal Way, 78 were found sleeping in cars or trucks.

Comparisons

This year’s total represents an increase of 5 percent over those found without shelter last year. The number reflects only the homeless people who were counted and visible in specific areas.

In the 2012 homeless count, 2,594 people had no shelter in King County, compared to 2,442 counted in 2011. In 2010, the count totaled 2,759.

In Federal Way, volunteers counted 77 people last year, of which 48 were sleeping in vehicles and 16 were found sleeping in “structures.” In 2011, the Federal Way count was 124, and in 2010, the count was 181.

Learn more

To learn more, visit www.homelessinfo.org.