Eastside volunteers counted 158 homeless people out in the open in 30 degree weather in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond early morning Friday, Jan. 30.

This included approximately 50 residents of Tent City 3 in Bellevue.

The annual count was conducted between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. by the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH).

According to volunteers, men and women slept in cars piled with clothing and personal possessions, their windows hung with newspapers or blankets to keep out the light and the cold. One car had a hand-made sign in the window: “I’m just sleeping.”

Others were found huddled in sleeping bags or bedrolls in tents and under tarps in makeshift camps hidden by underbrush, trying to stay warm in the freezing, foggy weather, some with a small campfire.

A few took shelter in a restaurant after paying for a meal.

Some slept under roadways or in doorways. Nine people were walking around, too cold to risk sleeping and developing hypothermia.

To assure their safety, specific locations where homeless individuals were found will not be made public. A summary is available at www.homelessinfo.org/onc.html.

The count reported a total of 2,826 men, women and children, up 2 percent from 2008. Many suburbs reported dramatic growth. The figure for the three Eastside cities was up 3 percent.

The overnight total does not include those in shelters or transitional housing. SKCCH expects that number to be approximately 6,000.

Conducted annually since 1981, the results of the count help allocate resources and plan for future needs, particularly low-income and transitional housing.

Many government officials participated in the count, including Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue City Councilmembers.