Seattle – Today, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell released updated data sets for the first quarter of 2024 for the City’s One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan and public-facing dashboard, which show a 34% drop in verified tent count citywide, as well as a 30% decrease in the number of active sites during the first three months of the year. This follows a 23% decrease in tents citywide reported in 2023 year-end data.
The Unified Care Team (UCT) completed approximately 3,800 site cleanings in the first quarter, removing nearly 1.2 million pounds of debris from public spaces. UCT also focuses on removing public health and safety hazards at encampments, such as propane tanks, and data from the Seattle Fire Department shows that the number of fires at encampments is continuing to decrease, with a 20% drop in Q1.
SNAPSHOT TENT/RV COUNT:
- March verified tent count: 345 (decrease from 523 tents in Q4 of 2023)
- March verified count of RVs at active encampment sites: 179 (decrease from 227 in Q4 of 2023)
OUTREACH DATA:
- 531 referrals to shelter accepted during Q1
PUBLIC SAFETY DATA:
- Total emergency medical response calls in Q1: 3,157, an average of 35 calls per day (steady with 2023 rate)
- Total fires at tent/RV encampments in Q1: 272 (an average of 3 per day, down from 3.6 per day in Q4 of 2023)
- Total Q1 shots fired or shooting incidents connected to homelessness: 15 (down from 16 in Q4 of 2023)
The Unified Care Team continues to make progress in its work to ensure Seattle streets, sidewalks, and public spaces remain clean and accessible to all, a coordinated effort that includes more than a dozen City departments and partners. The One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan, first announced in May 2022, provides a framework for continued action centered on both urgency and compassion.