Pierce County’s Rising Homelessness: Is Housing the New Gold Rush?

The homeless population in Pierce County is skyrocketing, with a staggering 2,955 individuals without stable shelter in 2025—an 11% increase from the year before. It seems like everyone’s talking about housing prices being as high as rocket fuel, and according to reports, the median home price has more than doubled in the last decade. With 1,433 people living on the streets and 1,522 seeking shelter, one has to wonder: just where are we going wrong?

Rob Huff of the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness pointed out a steep decline in available shelter space, as city funding has cut around 200 beds. It’s as if they’re trying to fix a sinking ship with a spoon, while Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello laments the dwindling federal funding that had once offered a glimmer of hope. It’s a classic case of “better late than never” for affordable housing development, which is finally making some strides, but can it keep up with the rising tide of need?

As we dive deeper into this issue, it raises some serious questions about our community’s priorities. If we can drum up $25 million in sales tax revenue for affordable housing, what’s stopping us from tackling this problem head-on? Surely we have enough resources in our collective back pocket to send a lifeboat to those drifting out at sea—figuratively, of course. So, what would it take to finally bring some sense to these rising numbers? Let’s hear your thoughts!

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