Homelessness Prevention and Reduction Plan

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Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners February 3, 2009 7 Our Vision: An informed and active citizenry engaged in shared goals and activities to end homelessness in Kittitas County. Our Mission: The mission of the 2008 Kittitas County Homeless Committee is to develop, prioritize, implement, evaluate and recommend strategies to the Board of County Commissioners to reduce and prevent homelessness and associated risks to the citizens of Kittitas County by: · Encouraging the coordination of services between agencies that serve the homeless community; · Working in partnership with community social and health service organizations, businesses, and the faith community throughout Kittitas County; · Increasing public awareness of issues of homelessness; · Impacting public policy; · Recommending the distribution of Kittitas County Homelessness Funds (created by ESSHB 2163) in appropriate ways to support the continued reduction and prevention of homelessness in Kittitas County. Operating Principles: The Committee is guided by seven principles: We will address all homeless populations throughout our county. We will create strategies that fit our local communities’ needs and priorities. We will create goals, strategies and outcomes in a coordinated, collaborative manner to serve our homeless population. We will concentrate on strategies that are sustainable, financially feasible, and offer measurable results. We will be proactive in identifying resources as well as innovative and best practices, at the local, state and federal levels. We will make data-driven decisions to monitor, modify, and improve our plan. Kittitas County has experienced record growth in recent years and it appears that this growth will be on-going in the future. Although this growth will bring prosperity to many in the County, it will also bring increased housing prices and land values. As a result many people will have difficulty finding affordable housing and will potentially find themselves on the verge of homelessness. Homelessness has many causes: lack of affordable housing, mental health problems, substance abuse, job loss or lack of employment opportunities, and sudden changes in family structure are some of the reasons that people find themselves without adequate shelter. It is clear that homelessness cannot be eradicated at present, but it can be significantly reduced. ESSHB 2163, the Homelessness, Housing and Assistance Act (HHAA), creates a fund from local filing fees and imposes a mandate on Washington Counties to plan to reduce homelessness by 50% within the next 10 years. The committee, formed in 2008, was charged with rewriting the plan developed in 2006, developing measurable goals and strategies to