A “significant decrease” in homelessness has occurred within the county since the unanimous adoption of the Clallam County Ten-year Plan to End Homelessness by the board of county commissioners in 2005, Kathy Wahto, executive director of Clallam County Serenity House, said.

Although the plan took two years to develop, according to most recent point-in-time survey, 59 unsheltered individuals were documented as compared to 203 in 2006.

“The point in time is a trend line for us and primarily represents individuals outside HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) and are really the most vulnerable,” Wahto said. “Overall we’ve seen about a 80-percent reduction.”

Though, if homelessness is to be eliminated by the end of the county’s 10-year plan timeline, a lot still needs to be accomplished, Martha Ireland, forum moderator and executive coordinator for Clallam County Serenity House, explained during a meeting on plan implementation to end homelessness Nov. 19.

“We used to talk about sheltering the homeless, now we’re talking about ending homelessness,” Ireland said. “We’re getting down to the end and need to get specific.”

However, Wahto explained, although the timeline to end homelessness by 2015 provides a good incentive the funding, work and planning toward the goal won’t end.

“We’ll always have a need for affordable housing options and organizations in place to run programs and respond to emergencies,” she said.

Ongoing data collection

To help achieve the goal to end homelessness and ensure the county plan is consistent with the state plan, officials with both Serenity House of Clallam County and the Peninsula Housing Authority produce an annual forum book on the status of homelessness within the county. The book is similar to annual report and compiles data using two primary sources – the point-in-time surveys and information from the HMIS.

Both sources are helpful, but for different reasons, Wahto said. The point-in-time surveys are taken every January and are a physical count of individuals. But because of uncontrollable variables such as the sheer size of the county, the point-in-time surveys represent only about a third of those homeless and is a “snapshot” in time, she said.

The HMIS is a shared database of information for nearly every individual that used a public program and more accurately pinpoints what programs are working and being used the most and least.

Based on the most current point-in-time survey, 352 homeless and at-risk people were counted, including 59 individuals who were living on the street, in cars, tents or in other locations not meant to house people, denoting a 13.5 decline throughout 2013.

Local need

Although there is an overall downward trend of homeless and at-risk people “it’s deeply troubling to see the increased demand for services and assistance, particularly from the most vulnerable and literally homeless,” according to the 2014 Clallam Forum on Homelessness in reference to a 55 percent spike in “literally homeless” people throughout 2013. In January 2013, 38 unsheltered individuals were counted, whereas this January, 59 were accounted for.

Despite the point-in-time survey’s ability to only provide a “snapshot” in time and thus may not truly represent the status of homelessness, Wahto said it does target the most vulnerable demographic.

Looking ahead, Wahto said to end homelessness, efforts with a focus on countywide permanent housing options needs to continue.

“Time-limited beds are not the answer to ending homelessness, but permanent housing is,” Wahto said.

Projects under way within Sequim include the Serenity House officials’ work to convert one emergency unit suitable to serve a family and 16 units of the former Peninsula Housing Authority project to permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless at the SunBelt Apartments along Fifth Avenue. Additionally, The Korean Women’s Association continues to move forward with its plan to use a $500,000 grant to fund a six-bed congregate facility to serve disabled adults.

“The apartment (SunBelt) is already permanent, but it’s not dedicated to homeless,” Wahto said. “This will add 16 units for strictly homeless or disabled individuals.”

A void for housing options in Sequim was left after Serenity House officials sold their former building to the City of Sequim to construct the city’s new civic center, Wahto said. Although the SunBelt Apartments project is a step in the right directions, Wahto said they’re still searching for additional housing options to serve families.

A reoccurring challenge Wahto has noticed during her 13 years with Serenity House is the ongoing difficulty to provide effective programs to those with substance abuse issues and she feels those struggling with addiction may have a greater chance at recovery if they have a home of sorts.

“Housing isn’t meant to be reward, but it is a basic need,” Wahto said.

Financial future

As the Clallam County Board of County Commissioners prepare to adopt its 2015 budget next month, members of the Homelessness Task Force (HTF), an advisory committee to the commissioners, made their financial recommendations to the board last week.

The committee recommended the board award $300,000 for both House bills, SHB 2060 affordable housing and SHB 2163 homeless housing and assistance.

Funding for both bills are 35 percent less than that allotted for the previous year because of a decrease in the number of recording fees at the state level.

“When there isn’t enough funding, it’s miserable,” Wahto said. “But it’s something we’re used to and we just look for ways we can diversify and for grants we can write.”

Although the plan has been “coming along pretty well,” County Commissioner Jim McEntire said, such significant reduction in fee revenues is a warning sign.

“We’ve made great strides, but the more you get toward your goal the harder it gets to reach,” McEntire said.

Though, unlike many other counties, Ireland said, the agencies working toward the common goal of ending homelessness is Clallam County all work “extremely well together.” The unique collaboration within Clallam County helps to combat the difficulties associated with lack of funds because organizations within the same county aren’t necessarily competing for the same money, she said.

“Collaboration has been really key to our successes here,” Ireland said. “Here we are all partners.”

Realistically the county may not be void of homeless, Ireland said, but “we’re hoping the infrastructure to efficiently and properly deal with the issue is in place by the end of 2015.”

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.