Welcome to Skagit County

July 25th, 2012

County Endorses Updated 10-Year Plan to Reduce Homelessness

SKAGIT COUNTY - Skagit County Commissioners recently signed a resolution endorsing an updated plan to reduce homelessness in the county within 10 years.

The plan is a community-led process developed by a variety of local homeless services stakeholders, based on local conditions and national research. The plan aims to reduce the prevalence of homelessness, the amount of time people spend in homelessness, and homeless recidivism.

The Washington State Legislature passed several bills dedicated to preventing and reducing homelessness beginning in 2004. This legislation required every county to develop a plan to document funding toward programs and strategies created to prevent or reduce homelessness. The ability to maintain funding for these programs depends on communities having articulated plans for low-income housing and homeless services.

Both changing economic conditions and advancements in research regarding homelessness intervention and prevention resulted in Skagit County's original plan becoming outdated, according to Bob Hicks, operations manager for Community Services. The new plan features measurable goals and input from key stakeholders throughout the community.

"It was a community effort-local people guided the process," Hicks said.

To create the plan, partners hosted events examining local data and national research.
"What is good throughout the country is not always good for our community," Hicks said. "We compared national needs to local ones and mixed and matched what works and what doesn't."

To read the plan and learn more, please visit the Community Services website at www.skagitcounty.net/communityservices.