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Results <br />Question 1: ls the hometessness probtem in Kittitas County better, worse' <br />or the same than 5 years ago? WhY? <br />People with Lived Experience: Participant responses were mixed. A coupte of peopte fett it has <br />stayed the same based on the fact that peopte are generatty getting services and moving atong <br />through the system. One person sees a positive change but feets like more needs to be done. <br />There was discussion of the barriers that peopte experience in accessing services as wett as the <br />impact of substance use disorder. <br />. "lt seems tike peopte in the shetter have been processed and moved atong. For us <br />personatly, they have moved atong fairty fast." <br />. "l do see a better change, but I do feet tike it needs to be improved more....l do feel there <br />needs to be some more services or thought put into temporary housing." <br />. "A lot of times, addicts don't get sober because they're on the streets....They may want <br />hetp and want to get sober but it's hard to stay sober on the streets." <br />Service Providers: Most participants fett the probtem is worse, with one saying they don't know. <br />Their opinions were primarity based on community observations and the visibitity of peopte <br />experiencing hometessness. 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 potentiatty attributabte to peopte not <br />being etigibte for services. <br />. "When I've driven around town in the last two years, it's more visibte. You can see more <br />peopte. ". "l do think it's worse because there's some community fatigue, less tolerance, and maybe <br />exhaustion in terms of hetping and finding sotutions." <br />. "l see more individuats who are transient, and who identify as living in their cars, <br />compared to previous years." <br />Law EnforcementlLocal Government: Generatty, participants fett the probtem is worse based on <br />the number of [aw enforcement catts seen. One participant said that based on the data and usage <br />of the cotd weather shetter, the probtem has stayed the same. There was discussion about what <br />the definition is of "the homelessness probtem"-is it the number of peopte affected, or the <br />impacts experienced by the community? One participant felt the probtem is worse based on the <br />community impacts. <br />. "Overatt, I haven't seen a steep rise, but that's onty from the perspective of those that are <br />using the shetter." <br />. 'My onty observation...is listening to KITTCOM, the number of catts they have regarding <br />hometessness or transient individuats. " <br />. "What exactty is the 'hometessness problem'?...|s 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 />peopte who struggte with not having a home?" <br />. "lt doesn't seem like a steep inctine over the last five years. lt's not a whote [ot, but it <br />definitety feels like you see more." <br />5