1. Kittitas County 5-Year Homelessness Plan 2025-2030

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was a priority over housing for them, but most voiced that housing first, then emptoyment. There was discussion about the importance of behaviorat heatth services and that these services are requested often. One participant also commented that the poputation they serve (LatinX community) doesn't typicatty take advantage of behavioraI heatth services. . "We do have a lot of requests for the mental heatth part of behavioral heatth, so I would agree that those two are definitety at the top of the [ist." . "Most of the peopte who cross my path benefit and report that they need behavioral heatth and mentaI heatth resources." . "l know of one person who cannot work without housing, so when they lost their housing, they lost their job at which they were thriving." . "l'm a firm betieverthatyour housing often stabitizes the person inside it." Law EnforcementlLocol Government: Participants agreed that these are important but discussed the need for housing and basic needs to be addressed first in order to be successful. There was discussion on how many peopte who experience hometessness have behavioraI heatth issues and that this has to be addressed before they can engage in job training. . "l don't think you can offer peopte emptoyment services if they don't have a ptace where they can get dressed appropriatety, shower, get a meal, get a good eight hours rest. Without these things, those emptoyment services witl not be successfut." . "There has to be the basic things addressed for someone to be successfut. They need a ptace to [ive, a ptace to eat, to feel safe and (if necessary) behavioral heatth services. Once those core things are addressed, an individuatis set up for success in my opinion." . "You have to have the behavioral heatth services, but you atso need to have the housing to be successfut." Community hlembers: Generatty, participants fett that yes, these are priorities, but housing shoutd be the first priority: affordable low barrier housing and keeping peopte in housing. There were concerns about keeping peopte in housing if they have unmet behavioral heatth needs. . "l think these are priorities, but I think the biggest priority is affordabte housing and low barrier housing." . "You can't just put someone in an AA meeting who's homeless." . "Housing first is my approach, what I'd prefer to see. How do you prioritize behavioral heatth services when you don't know where you will steep at night?" Central Washington lJniversity: Most participants fett that white these are important, affordabte housing and basic needs must be met first, especialty before job training and emptoyment services. Peopte need a safe ptace to be housed, have access to food, and have access to medicat and mental heatth services before they can be ready for job training. Participants also mentioned the need for supportive emptoyment services such as laundry, ctothing, haircuts, washrooms, etc. There was also some discussion about stigma and the need to have programs that are nonjudgmentaI and discrete. . "You've got to meet their materiat, heatth, and psychological needs first. And then you start thinking about things tike job training. There's a hierarchy of needs." . "lwoutd say the #1 priority is a ptace where you can be safe and fed, where you can take care of your body in any way that is needed." . "l think a massive priority shoutd be affordabte housing." 7