Washington State Releases Five-Year Homeless Housing Strategic Plan

Washington State Releases Five-Year Homeless Housing Strategic PlanPhoto byStock Image

By Kristy Tallman, October 15, 2024

Olympia, WA – In response to rising homelessness, the Washington State Department of Commerce has released a comprehensive five-year Homeless Housing Strategic Plan. The plan outlines key actions, including the creation of 18,000 emerge ncy housing beds and 1.1 million new permanent housing units within the next 20 years.

The plan reflects extnsive consultation with individuals who have experienced homelessness, tribal representatives, local governments, and service providers. It emphasizes the need for immediate relief through temporary housing and enhanced services to stabilize those at risk.

Plan Highlights:

• Emergency and Transitional Housing:
• • Add 18,000 emergency housing beds within the next four years, part of the 90,000 required overall.
  • Expand partnerships with service providers to address gaps in transitional housing.
• Long-Term Housing Investments:
• • Pursue state and federal funding for 1.1 million new housing units, with 200,000 units to be delivered within the next four years.
  • Integrate health and behavioral services directly into housing to support stability.
• Workforce Support:
• • Retain, train, and improve working conditions for frontline service workers, addressing high turnover and vacancy rates.
  • Include people with lived experience of homelessness in designing programs.
• Systems Coordination and Accountability:
• • Improve collaboration between behavioral health, youth services, jails, and prisons to better support those transitioning from institutional settings.
  • Strengthen performance standards for service providers and publish spending outcomes by county.

Focus on Equity:
The plan acknowledges that homelessness disproportionately affects BIPOC, Native Americans, LGBTQ2S+, and young adults, with efforts directed toward dismantling systemic barriers and empowering community organizations to deliver effective solutions.

A Data-Driven Approach:
Commerce Director Mike Fong emphasized the importance of broad collaboration: "Meaningful, long-term reductions in homelessness demand accountable, transparent systems and solutions that align with community needs."

Next Steps:
Counties across Washington will begin developing their own five-year housing plans, aligning local efforts with statewide goals for 2025-2030.

For more details, visit Washington State Department of Commerce – Homelessness Response.

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By Kristy Tallman, October 15, 2024
The Republic News

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