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