KC 5yr Plan 2025 (1) - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 R esults Question 1: Is the homelessness problem in Kittitas County better, worse, or the same than 5 years ago? Why? People with Lived Experience: Participant responses were mixed. A couple of people felt it has stayed the same based on the fact that people are generally getting services and moving along through the system. One person sees a positive change but feels like more needs to be done. There was discussion of the barriers that people experience in accessing services as well as the impact of substance use disorder. • “It seems like people in the shelter have been processed and moved along. For us personally, they have moved along fairly fast.” • “I do see a better change, but I do feel like it needs to be improved more….I do feel there needs to be some more services or thought put into temporary housing.” • “A lot of times, addicts don’t get sober because they’re on the streets….They may want help and want to get sober but it’s hard to stay sober on the streets.” Service Providers: Most participants felt the problem is worse, with one saying they don’t know. Their opinions were primarily based on community observations and the visibility of people experiencing homelessness. There was some discussion about the cost of living, cost of housing, and diverse economic backgrounds being contributing factors. There were also several comments about a more recent dip in services in the past few months potentially attributable to people not being eligible for services. • “When I’ve driven around town in the last two years, it’s more visible. You can see more people.” • “I do think it’s worse because there’s some community fatigue, less tolerance, and maybe exhaustion in terms of helping and finding solutions.” • “I see more individuals who are transient, and who identify as living in their cars, compared to previous years.” Law Enforcement/Local Government: Generally, participants felt the problem is worse based on the number of law enforcement calls seen. One participant said that based on the data and usage of the cold weather shelter, the problem has stayed the same. There was discussion about what the definition is of “the homelessness problem”—is it the number of people affected, or the impacts experienced by the community? One participant felt the problem is worse based on the community impacts. • “Overall, I haven’t seen a steep rise, but that’s only from the perspective of those that are using the shelter.” • “My only observation…is listening to KITTCOM, the number of calls they have regarding homelessness or transient individuals.” • “What exactly is the ‘homelessness problem’?...Is it the impacts as they’re experienced by the community and that we hear about in law enforcement, or is it the fact that there are people who struggle with not having a home?” • “It doesn’t seem like a steep incline over the last five years. It’s not a whole lot, but it definitely feels like you see more.”