179323 - Combined resolution and 2025-2030 5 year Homeless Plan

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11 Community Engagement Washington State’s Local Plan Guidance requires that countfes involve a broad range of stakeholders in developing homeless housing plans, including people with lived experience of homelessness, local governments, service providers, and the public. But more than a requirement, community engagement is essentfal to building a plan that is practfcal, responsive, and community owned. We approached engagement with a clear belief: those closest to the problem are closest to the solutfon. Homelessness touches every part of our county, and addressing it requires perspectfves from across the spectrum, those with lived experience, frontline workers, community partners, and everyday residents. Their insights shaped not only the prioritfes of this plan, but the way we talk about homelessness, the way we serve, and the values we hold. Between September and November 2024, more than 280 individuals partfcipated in shaping the Kittitas County 2025–2030 Homeless Housing Plan: • 240 residents completed a community survey, distributed both online and in person through trusted community channels. • Over 30 people joined facilitated focus groups, including individuals with lived experience, nonprofit providers, government representatfves, healthcare workers, educators, and community members. • Stakeholders engaged through targeted meetfngs with housing providers, city officials, and regional partners. What We Heard Survey responses reflected shared concerns across demographic lines and geographies: • Broad support for expanding affordable housing, emergency shelter, and behavioral health services. • Frustratfon with stfgma, service gaps, and confusing systems that prevent people from getting help. • A divide in public opinion around personal responsibility versus systemic causes of homelessness. • A clear call for collaboratfve solutfons and better public educatfon to shift understanding and engagement. From the focus groups, five cross-cutting themes emerged: • The system is too hard to access: partfcipants described long waits, strict rules, and complex requirements that don’t match people’s real lives. “It’s not that people are unwilling to engage—it’s that they’re tired of being treated badly or getting stuck in a system that doesn’t work.” —Service provider partfcipant. People want help and want to get sober, but it’s hard to stay sober on the streets.” —Partfcipant with lived experience.