Laserfiche WebLink
3 <br /> <br />Executive Summary <br />The Kittitas County 2025–2030 Homeless Housing Plan provides a coordinated roadmap for addressing <br />homelessness and housing instability over the next five years. Grounded in local data, community input, <br />and best practfces, the plan outlines shared goals and strategies to ensure that all residents of Kittitas <br />County have access to housing that meets their needs, and the individualized support required to maintain <br />stability. <br />Homelessness is a complex challenge. It affects individuals, families, and entfre communitfes. Addressing <br />it requires clear prioritfes, collaboratfon, and a sustained commitment to measurable progress. This plan <br />sets that directfon. <br /> <br />Key goals <br />• Promote an equitable, transparent, and accountable homeless response system. <br />• Strengthen the homeless service provider workforce. <br />• Prevent episodes of homelessness whenever possible. <br />• Prioritfze assistance based on the greatest barriers to housing stability and risk of harm. <br />• Seek to house everyone in a stable setting that meets their needs. <br /> <br />Key priorities <br />• Expand the supply of affordable and supportfve housing. <br />• Strengthen partnerships across sectors. <br />• Improve access to behavioral health services. <br />• Enhance preventfon, diversion, and outreach efforts. <br />• Build community awareness and foster public support. <br />These prioritfes align with and reinforce the goals of the Kittitas County Comprehensive Plan, partfcularly <br />the commitment to affordable housing, inclusive growth, and coordinated health and human services. <br /> <br />Current context <br />Housing costs in Kittitas County contfnue to rise faster than income, placing severe strain on low-income <br />households. The Housing for All Planning Tool (HAPT) projects a need for approximately 1,351 new housing <br />units over the next five years, with the greatest demand among extremely low- and very low-income <br />households. <br />In 2024, the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count identffied 91 people experiencing homelessness in Kittitas County. <br />By 2025, that number dropped to 26, largely due to increased housing placements and limited outreach <br />during the count period. These shifts demonstrate how homelessness is shaped by both local conditfons <br />and the way data is collected, underscoring the importance of coordinated and responsive strategies.