(1) The department shall ((annually)) conduct a Washington homeless census or count consistent with ((the requirements of RCW 43.185C.180))the United States department of housing and urban development's annual notice informing housing inventory count and point-in-time count data collection. The census shall make every effort to count ((all homeless individuals living outdoors, in shelters, and in transitional housing, coordinated, when reasonably feasible, with already existing homeless census projects including those funded in part by the United States department of housing and urban development under the McKinney-Vento homeless assistance program))persons experiencing homelessness as defined by the annual notice. The department shall determine, in consultation with local governments, the data to be collected. ((Data on subpopulations and other characteristics of the homeless))Such data must, at a minimum, be consistent with the United States department of housing and urban development's ((point-in-time requirements))annual notice and the requirements of RCW 43.185C.180.

(3) The department and each local government are prohibited from disclosing any personally identifying information about any homeless individual when there is reason to believe or evidence indicating that the homeless individual is an adult or minor victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking or is the parent or guardian of a child victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; or revealing other confidential information regarding HIV/AIDS status, as found in RCW 70.02.220. The department and each local government shall not ask any homeless housing provider to disclose personally identifying information about any homeless individuals when the providers implementing those programs have reason to believe or evidence indicating that those clients are adult or minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking or are the parents or guardians of child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Summary data for the provider's facility or program may be substituted.

(4) The Washington homeless census shall be conducted ((annually)) on a schedule created by the department. The department shall make summary data by county available to the public each year. This data, and its analysis, shall be included in the department's annual updated homeless housing program strategic plan.

(((5) Based on the annual census and provider information from the local government plans, the department shall, by the end of year four, implement an online information and referral system to enable local governments and providers to identify available housing for a homeless person. The department shall work with local governments and their providers to develop a capacity for continuous case management to assist homeless persons.