Do you have experience with homelessness? Pierce County wants to hear from you
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- Pierce County will host a public feedback event on homelessness response July 19.
- Attendees will review data and discuss accountability in funding and services.
- County seeks input from people with lived homelessness experience to shape policy.
As part of its process to update the region’s plan to end homelessness, Pierce County Human Services is inviting people to give feedback on its response to the crisis.
The event will take place Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first floor of the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard Hall at 1950 S. C St.
Attendees will have the opportunity to review data on homelessness in Pierce County and provide feedback on accountability measures to be incorporated into the updated plan.
According to Human Services, seating is limited, and guests must register in advance online.
Residents unable to attend will have another opportunity to participate in a virtual session in September. The county is also collecting feedback online from July 5-26 at www.piercecountywa.gov/homelessplan.
The event will be the second in a series of public-engagement sessions focused on shaping the county’s five-year Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness (CPEH).
The session will build on input gathered at the first event held in April. Roughly 75 people attended the event on April 28 at Sprinker Recreation Center, the broad majority of which were representing local homeless-outreach programs and service providers.
During the event, participants raised concerns about a lack of transparency and accountability within the county’s response.
In the past year, service providers and officials have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the process through which the county selects organizations to award funding, internal politics which create a perceived unfairness in that process, and delays in how that funding is distributed.
Among the priorities shared by several attendees was the need for accountability in how the county spends its funding and tracks its progress. Some street-outreach specialists said the county needs to be sure that contracted service providers are meeting the expectations and actually making progress towards the goals and objectives outlined by the county.
“Its pretty embarrassing when we are out in the field and homeless people are asking where the $17 million [in affordable housing investments] went,” Trisha Munson, outreach specialist with Common Street, told Human Services officials during the April 28 event.
Others agreed the county’s homelessness response needs to incorporate more feedback from individuals with experience living homeless.
“There is no one size fits all,” one participant said. “We need to assess what they say they need. We need to talk to the people being served.”
Another participant pointed out the lack of individuals at the April 28 listening session who had experience living unhoused.
“Community feedback is essential to ensure this plan reflects the needs and priorities of those most impacted,” said Devon Isakson, Social Services Supervisor for the county’s Homeless Programs team. “We are especially encouraging participation from individuals with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability.”
According to the county, participants who have experienced with living homelessness or housing instability migth be eligible for compensation for their time.
The Pierce County Council adopted the original CPEH in March 2022 to serve as the official Homeless Housing Plan required by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
The current CPEH consists of goals designed to achieve “functional zero” – a state where any person starting a new episode of homelessness has immediate access to shelter and permanent housing intervention.
According to the county, the updated plan must be adopted by the end of 2025 and aims to meet state goals including:
Promoting an equitable, accountable and transparent homeless crisis response system
Strengthening the homeless service provider workforce
Preventing homelessness whenever possible
Prioritizing services for individuals with the highest barriers to stability
Ensuring every person has access to stable housing that meets their needs
