Issue Position: Homelessness

Issue Position

I've met with the homeless in our communities and have come to better understand the issues they face, as well as how and why they are now on the street. We must establish a statewide Continuum of Care to coordinate housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals

I will partner with community leaders and my colleagues to introduce legislation that establishes the "Washington State Return to Home Plan", a statewide community plan to organize existing resources and create solutions to current deficiencies in order to deliver housing and services that meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximize self-sufficiency. This plan includes the following action steps to end homelessness, prevent a return to homelessness, and identify and support those who are at risk:

Regional outreach, intake, and assessment in order to identify service and housing needs and provide a link to the appropriate level of both;
Local emergency shelters throughout the state to provide an immediate and safe alternative to sleeping on the streets, especially for homeless families with children. It's important to provide services on a state level so that residents don't fear that improved services become a draw.
Regional and local transitional housing with supportive services to allow for the development of skills that will be needed once permanently housed;
Permanent and semi-permanent supportive housing to provide individuals and families with an affordable place to live with services if needed, especially for those with physical or mental challenges.
Local offerings of prevention strategies and homeless assistance programs to identify and assist those at-risk of experiencing homelessness.

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