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Executive Summary <br />The Hometess Housing 5-Year Ptanning Committee organized five focus groups facititated by <br />an external facititator, Robin Read. The purpose of the focus groups was to gain the <br />perspective of the community about hometessness and retated issues, and to inform the <br />devetopment of community priorities that can be addressed in the 5-Year Ptan. <br />The focus groups ranged from four to eight participants each and were made up of <br />community members, peopte with tived experience with hometessness, taw enforcement <br />and [oca[ government, service providers, and students, faculty, and staff from Central <br />Washington University. Participation in the focus group questions and activities was robust <br />and a[[ attendees activety participated throughout the duration of the sessions. <br />Focus Group Questions <br />The focus groups exptored the fottowing questions: <br />Is the homelessness problem in Kittitas County better, worse, or the some than 5 years ogo? <br />Why? Overatt, across the focus groups participants tended to feel that the probtem has <br />either stayed the same or gotten worse. Some participants weren't sure due to tack of <br />knowtedge about the probtem, or limited time in the community. Many fett that the <br />probtem is more visibte than it used to be and there are more services avaitabte which is <br />why it may seem tike it has gotten worse. Peopte generatty feLt that more needs to be done <br />to address the issue. Participants cited increased costs, poverty, housing costs, and <br />unemptoyment or low wages as the primary reasons for increases. <br />ln a community survey, behavioral health services (mental health ond substance use <br />disorder) and job training and employment services were tisted as priorities for individuols <br />experiencing homelessness. Does this resonate with you? Are these priorities? Why or why <br />not? Participants tended to agree that these are priorities, but lots of peopte expressed <br />concern that housing and basic needs aren't considered priorities first. lt was expressed <br />that basic needs like housing, food, and ctothing have to be addressed before individuats <br />can address behaviorat heatth and/or employment. Substance use disorder was a common <br />theme among the groups as something that is common probtem for many peopte who <br />experience hometessness. <br />Unwillingness to porticipate and limited availobility are listed as the top borriers to <br />accessing services. How con we address these barriers? White some participants agreed <br />that these are barriers, many listed other barriers that they fett are more prominent, such <br />as complicated processes and stigma and judgment. Many participants took issue with the <br />fact that many of the survey respondents setected "unwiltingness to participate" because <br />there are many factors that go into someone not participating in services (i.e. stigma, poor <br />treatment, lack of documentation needed, barriers to accessing services, etc.) Common <br />ideas for addressing barriers were reducing judgment of peopl.e accessing services, having <br />personal advocates or peer advocates who can hetp people watk through the system, and <br />increasing accessibiIity of mentat heatth services. <br />Whot are your barriers to occessing services? What was successfullwhat worked well? (for <br />people with lived experience) Barriers listed by peopte with [ived experience inctuded <br />addiction, experiencing negative judgment, having a criminal history, not having <br />2