There are no surprises in the latest head count of the homeless population in El Paso County: The numbers are up.
“The economy is a major factor in this year’s increase because otherwise, we’ve been making good progress in getting people in programs,” Anne Beer, director of community information systems for Pikes Peak United Way, said Wednesday.
Officially, according to a point-in-time census the agency conducted Jan. 27, the county has 172 more homeless people than two years ago.
Unofficially, there are at least 500 more homeless people than in 2007, according to an expert’s estimates.

Read more about the homeless population at the Gazette