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12 <br /> <br />• People want help: and many are actfvely trying to stabilize their lives but need access to safe housing and <br />meaningful support. <br />• Peer support is powerful: partfcipants emphasized the role of trusted guides with lived experience in helping <br />others navigate the system. <br />• Rural community challenges: transportatfon, isolatfon, and limited provider optfons create unique barriers <br />in smaller communitfes. <br />• The tone of our community matters: how people are spoken to, treated, and portrayed can either encourage <br />engagement or push people away. <br />Partfcipants consistently emphasized the need for peer advocates, simplified processes, and a shift in how the <br />community talks about and treats people experiencing homelessness. These ideas helped shape the plan’s focus <br />on low-barrier access, dignity-centered services, and targeted investment in critfcal supports. <br />Partfcipants who identffied as low-income or as having lived experience of homelessness were offered compensatfon <br />for their tfme and expertfse at a rate of $25 per hour, paid directly. This practfce aligns with guidance from the <br />Washington State Office of Equity on partfcipant engagement and compensatfon.