Homeless shelter capacity and usage has consistently increased since before the pandemic, according to data from Pierce County, with the number of people sleeping in shelter beds nearly doubling over the past 10 years.
While the demand for shelter continues to increase year-over-year, the rate of people who exit into housing has not significantly increased since the pandemic.
In 2024, a little over 6,050 people stayed in emergency shelters across Pierce County. In 2016, the number of people who stayed in homeless shelters was closer to 3,670…