PORT ANGELES — The three Clallam County commissioners unanimously approved the Clallam County five-year homelessness housing plan, contingent on the addition of measurable goals and objectives by the end of the year.
“We need to have some kind of benchmarks to say we are moving forward and meeting the criteria that’s in the plan,” Commissioner Randy Johnson said. “How to measure that progress as we go forward is a really big deal.”
Although the county has been developing homeless housing plans since 2005, the 2024 point in time count saw a 25 percent increase in homelessness (285 total people) when compared to 2023. The largest increase in homelessness over the past five years has been felt by those over 55 years old.
“When I ran for County Commissioner, I said we should be able to make a difference in the whole homelessness issue,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, it’s been going the other direction.”
During public comment, citizens expressed concern that homelessness is getting worse and past plans haven’t been able to address the crisis.
“We need to acknowledge that what has been done in the past has not been effective,” Mark Curtis said, noting that specific goals could help clarify how the plan’s objectives will be achieved.
The two main causes of homelessness are the diminished housing supply and rapidly rising rental costs, according to the draft housing plan. The 2020 to 2024 homeless crisis response and housing plan also identified lower-than-average salaries and elevated unemployment rates as relevant factors.
Over the next five years, the Department of Commerce estimated that Clallam will need 110 new shelter beds, 188 new supported housing beds and 417 new housing units for those making under 30 percent of area median income, or around $20,000.
Johnson expressed doubt that these needs would be met over the next five years.
“I don’t see the funding sources coming available to meet what is coming into this plan,” he added.
The plan aimed at addressing these needs will run from 2025 to 2030 and includes five objectives.
The first objective is to promote an equitable, accountable and transparent homeless crisis response system by reengineering and strengthening one stop resource opportunities and decreasing vacancy rates at shelters to 10 percent. One of the goals in the previous plan was to operate an efficient and effective homeless crisis response system that swiftly moves people into stable permanent housing.
The second objective is to strengthen the homeless service provider workforce by identifying needs and challenges.
The third objective is to prevent episodes of homelessness by encouraging employers to hire homeless individuals, and work to stabilize rent and prevent evictions.
The fourth objective is to prioritize assistance based on the greatest barriers to housing stability and the greatest risk of harm. Two objectives of the previous homeless response plan were to prioritize housing for people with the greatest needs and address racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness.
The fifth objective is to seek to house everyone in a stable setting that meets their needs by developing a county list and information hub of available rental housing and services, develop and support more incentives for landlords to maintain affordable housing and develop stronger strategies to ensure housing and services are available for the most vulnerable populations.
The hope is that these objectives will help the county reach a state in which homelessness is “rare, brief and non-recurring,” the housing plan stated.
In 2023, almost $5 million was spent on housing interventions, homelessness prevention, services and more. In 2024, almost $6.9 million was spent, according to the plan.
The five-year plan, which is state-mandated, was created with help from Knox Works LLC and funded by a grant from the state Department of Commerce. Homelessness Task Force members and community partners, as well as a focus group of individuals with lived experience, also worked on the document.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
