Editing Lewis County, Washington (section)

===Homelessness===
Lewis County participates in the [[Point-In-Time Count|Point In Time Count]] (PTC), a [[census]] of the homeless population as required by law.<ref name="LCCHP">{{Cite news |last=The Chronicle staff |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Lewis County Census of Homeless Population and Services Merge on Third Thursday in January |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-census-of-homeless-population-and-services-merge-on-third-thursday-in-january,308038? |access-date=February 7, 2024 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roland |first=Mitchell |date=January 29, 2024 |title=Seeking 'second chance,' Lewis County residents attend annual resource fair during PIT count |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/seeking-second-chance-lewis-county-residents-attend-annual-resource-fair-during-pit-count,333431? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle}}</ref> Beginning in 2003 as mandated by the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]] (HUD),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Block |first=Brandon |date=October 4, 2020 |title=Data Shows Thurston's Homeless Population Is Rising - And Still Not Everyone Is Counted |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/data-shows-thurstons-homeless-population-is-rising-and-still-not-everyone-is-counted,930? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |publisher=The Olympian}}</ref> the annual PTC, which tracks the number of individuals and families experiencing [[homelessness]] on a specified date, is usually held in January.<ref name="LCCHP" />

Homeless residents in the county were listed as 309 in 2012, falling to 205 in 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Broadt |first=Lisa |date=August 1, 2013 |title=Lewis County Holds First Summer Project Homeless Connect Event |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-holds-first-summer-project-homeless-connect-event,96292? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle}}</ref> A count in 2018 reported 132 homeless residents,<ref name="AHCLC">{{Cite news |last=Stanton |first=Carrina |date=December 21, 2018 |title=Amid Housing Crisis, Local Churches, Organizations Do Their Best |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/amid-housing-crisis-local-churches-organizations-do-their-best,12179? |access-date=February 7, 2024 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)]]}}</ref> and following counts reported 161 in 2019, 142 in 2020, 120 in 2022, and 153 in 2023.<ref name="LCCHP" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roland |first=Mitchell |date=February 5, 2024 |title=Salvation Army completes Point in Time homeless count |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/its-actually-a-year-round-conversation-salvation-army-completes-point-in-time-homeless,333997? |access-date=February 7, 2024 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)]]}}</ref> There was no census of homeless residents taken in 2021.<ref name="LCCHP" />

Students and children under the age of 18 who are described as, "in an overnight accommodation insecure situation", are not officially recorded as part of the PTC, however a count in 2018 reported 558 students who meet the qualifications to be listed as homeless.<ref name="AHCLC" />