When I checked a couple of years ago, the shelter population had indeed increased, but only by a handful of families.
A couple of years ago, after my most recent observation, the population of the shelter had gone up by a few families.
mnli hypothesis: A couple of years ago, after my most recent observation, the population of the shelter had gone up by a few families. premise: When I checked a couple of years ago, the shelter population had indeed increased, but only by a handful of families.