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8 <br /> <br />them severely cost-burdened. This mismatch <br />between wages and housing costs remains <br />one of the central drivers of local housing <br />instability. <br />At the same tfme, the supply of housing, <br />especially for very low-income households, <br />has not kept pace with demand. The <br />Washington State Department of Commerce <br />estfmates that Kittitas County will need more <br />than 2,000 additfonal housing units by 2044 <br />to meet projected demand. With rental <br />vacancy rates extremely low, those seeking <br />housing often face long waitlists or no <br />available optfons. <br />Behavioral health and substance use also play a significant role. Local focus groups and service providers consistently <br />point to untreated mental health conditfons and substance use as common factors leading to homelessness. In a <br />rural county like Kittitas, access to outpatfent care, detox, and supportfve housing services is limited, making recovery <br />and housing stabilizatfon harder to achieve. <br />Other barriers further compound these challenges. Community members and service providers alike cited <br />transportatfon, lack of documentatfon, and stfgma as key obstacles preventfng people from accessing the help they <br />need. Focus group partfcipants specifically noted that stfgma and judgment often discourage individuals from seeking <br />assistance. <br />Even with these challenges, Kittitas County has developed a responsive network of crisis response and housing <br />services. These include emergency shelters, case-managed transitfonal housing, and rapid rehousing programs. <br />Services delivered by local organizatfons are coordinated through a centralized Coordinated Entry system that <br />prioritfzes immediate access to services. <br />According to the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Annual Expenditure Report, over $3.3 million was <br />invested in Kittitas County in State Fiscal Year 2024 to support housing and homelessness programs. These funds <br />supported a broad range of services, including preventfon, shelter operatfons, outreach, and rental assistance. The <br />scale of this investment illustrates both the need for and the impact of sustained funding to support local efforts. For <br />more details, reference Survey of Fund Sources in the appendices. <br /> <br />Projected Need: Looking Ahead to 2045 <br />As part of its long-range planning, Washington State requires each county to estfmate the number of permanent <br />supportfve housing and emergency housing units needed to meet future demand. The Housing for All Planning Tool <br />(HAPT), developed by the Department of Commerce, translates homelessness trends, populatfon projectfons, and <br />local conditfons into actfonable housing targets. <br />For Kittitas County, the HAPT estfmates that by 2045, at least 509 units of permanent supportfve housing and 119 <br />units of emergency housing will be needed. These projectfons provide a data -informed basis for setting capital <br />investment goals, shaping program development, and guiding policy decisions. Including them here ensures that <br />local strategies remain grounded in projected need and support coordinated regional and state-level planning. <br />Median Rent Median Income <br />Kittitas County: Cumulative % Change <br />(2017-2023) <br />% <br />C <br />h <br />a <br />n <br />g <br />e <br />