The Point-In-Time count of the number of houseless persons in Wasco County conducted in January was up by 72 percent from two years ago.  Mid-Columbia Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint presented the data to County Commissioners on Wednesday.  The count showed tallied 194 people experiencing houselessness, up by 82 from 2020, and most of the various demographic subsectors that were counted also showed substantial increases.  LaPoint told the Commission that improvements in conducting the count from two years ago thanks to better collaboration among area agencies is providing more accurate data.  LaPoint did say there was a 70 percent increase in the number of sheltered houseless, reflecting the larger number of shelter beds available in the area.