Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts

Seeking local volunteers for the Point in Time count

Friday, January 10, 2020

Count Us In 2020, King County’s Annual Point in Time Count (PIT), will be happening in the early morning hours of January 24, 2020.
 
The core purpose of the annual PIT Count is to collect data on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our community. 

A successful and accurate PIT Count is an essential component to informing our system response to the need in our community. 




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Benefit concert for Camp United We Stand on Jan 19

Tuesday, January 7, 2020



Camp United We Stand is a 35 member homeless encampment that is incorporated as non-profit with the State of Washington and has 501(c)3 IRS federal status.

The Camp shelters at Shoreline area churches for periods of 90 days or longer. They have a board of directors but are a self-managed entity with regular, scheduled garbage pick-up, port-a-potties, donation and communal tent.

A benefit concert will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2020 from 2 - 3pm at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 3rd Ave NW, Shoreline 98177.

The concert is free to all - donations gladly accepted.




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King county and Seattle join to create Regional Homelessness Authority

Monday, December 23, 2019

County Exec Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Durkan
shake hands after signing an Interlocal Agreement on
Homelessness
Photo courtesy King county


King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan have signed a ground breaking Interlocal Agreement approved by the Metropolitan King County Council, Regional Policy Committee, and the Seattle City Council creating a new King County Regional Homelessness Authority to oversee a coordinated and unified response to homelessness.

“We have created a new regional authority that will repair the fractured system of governance that currently exists, improve the coordination of both services and funding countywide, center people with lived experience in our deliberations, and give us our first real opportunity to reduce the unacceptable disproportionality of homelessness among communities of color,” said Executive Constantine.

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Lake Forest Park Rotary donates to the Hope Center for homeless youth

Thursday, December 12, 2019

LFP Rotary Members donate to Youth Care Hope Center
Photo courtesy LFP Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park presented a check for $3,270 to the Hope Center to support homeless youth during the holiday.

The Club has an ongoing project to support homeless youth, led by George Piano and his team (pictured). George is second from right.



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Chermak Construction donates to Vision House

Vision House has apartments for people with children
Support services include child care, counseling,
readiness to work classes
Photo courtesy Vision House


Edmonds remodeling company Chermak Construction, Inc. recently held its annual holiday party.

Part of the celebration always includes a raffle of donated items with proceeds going to a local charity.

This year the company raised $ 3,210 for the Vision House transitional housing program in Shoreline.

Vision House is a social service agency that has been working with homeless parents with children since 1990 to help break the cycle of homelessness.

Vision House Executive Director Melissa Gehrig said that “Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of the staff at Chermak Construction for providing an opportunity for life change to families experiencing homelessness at Vision House. I love that your company is making a lifelong difference.”

Noah France, President of Chermak Construction, said that 
“Vision House has developed a successful program that brings hope and healing to homeless families. We are glad to be able to give back to the community that has supported us for four decades.”

Special thanks to Jim Coshow and Dunn Lumber for their generous support. Other donors this year included: B2 Structural Engineering, BIG E Ales, Brenda Brown of Sound Anti-Aging Solutions, The Seattle Barkery, Cat Shiveley, Chermak Construction, Chic-Fil-A of Lynnwood, Chris Hamilton of AFLAC, Michelle Croffut, Jane Ellison, Ferguson Enterprises, Al & Karen Forsberg, Noah and Dominique France, Richard and Andra Lawrence, Novus Coffee, Rite Painting, Samuel Madden/Two Morrows Design, Stephanye Smith, Veritas Millwork and Kayla Zaic.


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Agenda for Nov 4, 2019 Shoreline council meeting

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Shoreline City Hall and Council Chamber
Photo by Mike Remarcke
Shoreline City Council Meeting
November 4, 2019

The Agenda for the November 4, 2019 meeting includes two Action items and two Study items:

Action Item 8 (a) Public Hearing on the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and the 2019- 2024 Capital Improvement Plan Mid-Biennium Update

This is the first of two scheduled public hearings on the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and the 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Plan Mid-Biennium Update required by state law (RCW 35A.34.130) for the purpose of modifying the City’s biennial budget prior to the City Council’s adoption of:
  • Proposed Ordinance No. 872 providing for the mid-biennium budget modifications, and
  • Proposed Ordinance No. 873 setting the 2020 regular and excess property tax levies.

Action Item 8 (b) Public Hearing on the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Plan with Special Emphasis on 2020 Regular and Excess Property Tax Levies, to be Set by Ordinance No. 873, and Other Revenues

This is the second of two scheduled public hearings on the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and the 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Mid-Biennium Update required by state law (RCW 84.55.120)

These public hearings present an opportunity for residents and other stakeholders to provide input on the mid-biennium budget update, including all proposed levies, taxes, fees, and rates to aid the City Council and City management in updating the City’s 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Plan.


Study Item 9 (a) Discussing Ordinance No. 870 – Amending Chapter 3.22, Business & Occupation Tax, and Chapter 3.23, Tax Administrative Code, to Conform with Association of Washington Cities’ Model Ordinance for Business & Occupation Tax

To incorporate changes required by two bills passed in the 2019 Legislative session, a work group of cities met over the past several months to update the B&O Tax Model Ordinance. Given these changes, SMC Chapter 3.22 and 3.23 must be amended. Proposed Ordinance No. 870, which Council will discuss, would amend these Chapters of the SMC. Proposed Ordinance No. 870 is currently scheduled to be brought back to Council for adoption on November 18, 2019.


Study Item 9 (b) Discussion of the Sound Cities Association Statement of Principles Related to the Proposed King County Regional Authority on Homelessness

Staff report presented by Colleen Kelly, Community Services Manager

On September 4, 2019, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan transmitted legislation to their respective city councils that would charter a King County Regional Homelessness Authority, along with companion legislation that authorizes the Executive to execute an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with cities across King County. The proposed entity would address homelessness crisis response activities across the County.

At the next meeting of the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee (Sound Cities), members will be discussing whether they should consider adoption of principles to provide feedback to the County Council and to provide guidance for Sound Cities members on the Executive Leadership Group and the Sound Cities representatives on the Regional Policy Committee.

As Councilmember Roberts is Shoreline’s representative to the Sound Cities, staff is providing this information so that Council can provide guidance to Councilmember Roberts regarding the view of the Shoreline Council for the forthcoming November Sound Cities meeting.

Suburban cities are being invited to sign onto the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) and It is anticipated that each party signing the ILA would sign a service agreement with the Public Development Authority. (PDA). That service agreement would describe the city’s commitment to providing resources (direct funding or in-kind contributions such as staff time, facility space, development sites, etc.) to support the operation of the PDA or related services. Additionally, entities signing the ILA would commit to aligning their provision of homeless services with the PDA’s five-year implementation plan.

Note: This is important because it will direct Shoreline’s homeless services over the next five years. There does not appear to be a great deal of detail as to how this will work with Shoreline and other suburban cities. But this is an attempt to develop something that actually works since everyone seems to already know what doesn’t.

Staff report available on shorelinewa.gov

--Pam Cross



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Committed and compassionate people needed for Emergency Weather Shelter

Friday, October 4, 2019

Photo by Wayne Pridemore
Remember how awful last year's severe winter weather was, particularly for those who lacked adequate shelter?

This year, Shoreline Free Methodist Church, along with community partners, is opening Shoreline's first Emergency Weather Shelter - but we need YOU to make it happen! 

Committed and compassionate volunteers (over 18 years old):
  • are needed to commit to being on-call for a certain number of nights each month between November 1st and March 30th (shelter will open only when weather is below 34 degrees F).
  • will be provided with training and then will be responsible for welcoming guests and supervising the shelter overnight (partial shifts can be arranged). 
  • will be paired with another person and can trade off sleeping and being awake as only one person needs to be awake for fire watch between 11pm and 5am. 
Thank you for making a difference!

For more information, email staff@nuhsa.org or call 206-550-5626



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239 students can now live on-campus at Shoreline Community College

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

7000 Campus Living residence hall
at Shoreline Community College
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at Shoreline Community College to celebrate the opening of 7000 Campus Living, the on-campus residence hall.


Cutting the ribbon are (from left) Gabriel Grant, Principal Spectrum Development Solutions; Senator David Frockt 46th District; SCC President Cheryl Roberts; Dr. Douglass Jackson, Vice Chair Shoreline CC Board of Trustees. Photo by Steven H. Robinson


A large number of Shoreline Schools' graduates attend Shoreline Community College and many live at home but the college also draws students from all over Washington, as well as many countries around the world.

Officially open!
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Finding places to live for students has been a challenge, so a residence hall was a high priority.

The residence hall features on-site laundry, a communal kitchen, study space, event space, a courtyard, and five floors of furnished apartments with full-sized kitchens. The apartments come as 4 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and studio units.

The PUB, with all its services, is right across the street
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


Aside from its convenient location next door to the student union (PUB) building, on-campus living provides a whole host of benefits, including a richer college experience, built-in community, and a higher graduation rate.

“It’s kind of the safe space between being away from home for the first time and really living on your own,” said Sundi Musnicki, Director of Student Leadership and Residential Life. 
“You can be in a welcoming, supportive community while learning how to adult. That in turn helps students feel more engaged and empowered both academically and personally.”

Dr. Jackson stands in a hallway
at the residence hall
Photo by Steven H. Robinson 
Resident Advisors (RAs), who live on-site, will oversee activities programming - game and movie nights, trips to Seattle attractions - to help residents connect with fellow students.

Built-in programming will also nurture students’ development, Musnicki said. 
“We’re exploring programming for the residence community that’s aimed at bolstering success like tutoring, leadership development opportunities, and more. Our hope is to really provide wrap–around support for students so they can reach their version of success.”

Though residence life is a new venture for the College, it has already received a wealth of support from the larger campus community.

“What’s been super great is the number of campus offices that have reached out to Residence Life about how they might integrate into our programming,” said Musnicki. 
“From faculty members offering to lead cooking sessions in the community kitchen to International Education exploring cultural sharing opportunities, it’s been really fun to see the enthusiasm and think about the possibilities.”

Sen. David Frockt D-46 helped secure state funding
for new buildings on campus
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


Campus living offers another benefit to students: access to resources.

 “When you live on campus, everything you need for success is right outside your front door,” said Musnicki. “We can’t make it any easier to ask for and receive help, to get to class, to succeed. Living on campus eliminates 90% of barriers — you really just need to walk outside.”

Many rooms have a view of the campus greenery,
like this studio apartment.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


The building achieved a Silver LEED rating for its energy and environmental design.

It is currently at 92% occupancy, which includes apartments for five formerly homeless students provided by private fundraising.

There are still a few spots available. Learn more on the leasing website. The only requirement is that residents must be full-time students at the college.

Fall quarter classes began on September 25, 2019. Learn about programs here.



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Lake Forest Park adopts Homeless Youth Resolution

Sunday, September 29, 2019

For the last two years, the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park has sponsored the Homeless Youth Project, dedicated to finding ways to address the needs of homeless youth in our community, focusing specifically on homeless high school students in the Shoreline School District.

After meeting with County officials, local Service Providers, and School District representatives, the LFP Rotary Homeless Youth Project is working to bring the problem to the attention of the Lake Forest Park and Shoreline City councils in order develop support for assisting this growing, yet under-served population within our communities.

On September 26, 2019, the Lake Forest Park City Council unanimously voted to adopt Resolution 1743, “Confirming support for the establishment of a comprehensive homeless youth resource center serving Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, Washington.” (Attached)

This is a major step forward in our community’s recognition of the issue and a new approach to working on this problem.

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park will continue to support and advocate for our homeless students, and with the help of existing Youth Service providers and our community leaders in both LFP and Shoreline, we hope to expand services, assist these under-served students complete their education, and break the cycle of homelessness.

For more information, contact the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park or George Piano at pianosr@aol.com

~~~~~~~

RESOLUTION 1743
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE
FOREST PARK, WASHINGTON, CONFIRMING SUPPORT FOR
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESS
YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER SERVING LAKE FOREST PARK
AND SHORELINE, WASHINGTON
__________________________________________________

WHEREAS, the lack of housing or housing instability - homelessness - is a major problem for our nation, state and King County; and

WHEREAS, homelessness almost always has profound negative consequences for an individual’s mental and physical health, and economic prospects; and

WHEREAS, the effects of homelessness can be especially damaging for youth, including incomplete educational accomplishment, life-long mental health conditions and economic disadvantage; and

WHEREAS, 40,000 Washington public school students were identified as homeless during the 2016-17 school year, and

WHEREAS, the Shoreline School District student population includes, on average, several hundred homeless students, about 100 of whom are high school students; and

WHEREAS, while there are shelters, emergency housing, counseling, medical referral and other resources for homeless adults and many families in north King County, there are extremely limited resources available for north county homeless youth, especially those living outside a family context; and

WHEREAS, the Lake Forest Park Rotary Club, through its Homeless
Youth Project, has for several years provided monetary and material assistance to
homeless youth via the Shoreline School District and social service agencies, and

WHEREAS, the LFP Rotary Homeless Youth Project is advocating among service clubs,
homeless youth service providers and local governments for the establishment of a
comprehensive homeless youth resource center serving Lake Forest Park and Shoreline;
and

WHEREAS, there are positive indications of willingness of homeless youth service providers in other areas of King County, to extend those services to north King County; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Lake Forest Park, as follows:

Section 1. Confirmation. The City Council of the City of Lake Forest Park confirms its strong support for the establishment of a homeless youth resource center providing comprehensive services to youth in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, Washington.

Section 2. Corrections. The City Clerk is authorized to make necessary corrections to this resolution including, but not limited to, the correction of scrivener’s/clerical errors, references, ordinance numbering, section/subsection numbers and any references thereto.

PASSED BY A MAJORITY VOTE of the members of the Lake Forest Park City Council this 26th day of September 2019.



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Reporting on Homelessness in Seattle and King County

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Tent City 3 in Shoreline 2009
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg
Reporting on Homelessness in Seattle and King County with KUOW’s Kate Walters
September 28, 2019 from 2 - 3pm at the Shoreline Library large meeting room, 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline 98155.

Homelessness is one of the biggest issues faced in Seattle and King County. On any given night there are roughly 11,200 people experiencing homelessness county-wide.

This is a complicated issue that evokes strong emotions from people across the region. There are a wide range of opinions on how to best tackle the issue, how much money should be spent, whether public dollars are being spent wisely, what works and what doesn’t.
    
KUOW’s Kate Walters has been in public radio for the better part of a decade. She came to KUOW in 2015 and has been reporting on homelessness in Seattle and King County in some capacity since 2016. Before coming to KUOW, Kate studied journalism in Melbourne, Australia and worked as a reporter with WXXI public radio in Rochester, NY.  
  
Kate has spent time in shelters and unauthorized camps speaking with people who are experiencing homelessness. She’s spent time with neighbors, policy makers, and service providers and has delved into the many ways the region is trying to address this crisis.

In her talk, Kate speaks about the challenges that come with reporting on this topic, what we know and what we don’t, and how she personally approaches the process of reporting on this beat.




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Donor's will drastically impacts local nonprofit - in a positive way

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Vision House' Jacob's Well
in Shoreline


Families experiencing homelessness are about to benefit from an extremely generous gift for years to come. In her will, a very generous donor bequeathed a large sum of money to be divided up among four areas of service.

Vision House, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing for families, was chosen in the homelessness category.

Vision House was presented with a gift of $765,000! The nonprofit is in the middle of a large Capital Campaign to build ten additional apartments in Shoreline and this donation brings the building almost to completion.

There is still a lot of work left to be done in raising the remaining balance of approximately $500,000.

This donation was a complete surprise and originally thought to be $500,000. After meeting with Vision House's leadership, the donors (who wish to stay anonymous) landed on an extra $265,000!

Vision House is a non-profit providing transitional housing, child care and support services for homeless families to assist them in rebuilding their lives and achieving self-sufficiency. In 2018, 96% of Vision House families transitioned successfully to permanent housing.

The agency owns and operates 36 units of housing and two child care facilities, including Jacob's Well in Shoreline. When the second building in Shoreline is complete, Vision House will have a total of 46 apartments for homeless families.


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Where your Buddy Poppy donations went

Friday, June 28, 2019

Chris Christophersen presents a $2500 check to Shree Vigil, Program Manager,
Compass Veterans Center and Jennifer Marquette, Community Resource Coordinator, 

Compass Housing Alliance  Photo courtesy VFW


By Carl "Chris" Christophersen

Twice a year, Blackburn-Aurora VFW Post 3348 (Shoreline) holds their VFW Buddy Poppy (red poppies) fundraiser: Memorial Day and Veterans Day. We get permission to utilize three stores in the area on the Friday and Saturday prior to each of the above-named holidays.

Veterans Tiffany Bothell and Ken Christophersen
with Buddy Poppies at the Shoreline Fred Meyer
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

There are two or more VFW Post 3348 members at each store, taking donations for each VFW Buddy Poppy. 

There is no set price --- it is whatever you choose to donate. 

Every dime that is donated goes to help veterans in need.

We recently concluded our 2019 Memorial Day event. 

Discussions about who to donate to are ongoing amongst the Post members.

We made one decision early on because donating to this facility is a perennial favorite --- our donation directly helps veterans. 

That facility is the Shoreline Veterans Center (affiliated with the Compass Housing Alliance) located right across the street (N 200th St) from Costco in Shoreline. 

They permanently house 25 veterans --- yet any veteran can leave when s/he feels prepared and ready to get their own place.

On Friday, June 28, 2019 we presented 25 gift cards ($50 each) to Shree Vigil, Program Manager, Compass Veterans Center – Shoreline. 

Each gift card is in an envelope along with a note from VFW Post 3348 for each veteran who resides there. The envelopes were numbered 1 – 25. The photo above shows Shree on the left and Jennifer Marquette on the right. I am in the middle. Jennifer is the Community Resource Coordinator, Compass Housing Alliance (CHA) --- she is based in their HQ in downtown Seattle but is often at the Shoreline facility. Each woman was given a box of chocolates.

Compass Veterans Center in Shoreline
houses 25 veterans
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

There is at least one CHA employee on site 24/7. The male residents live in a separate area from the female residents. 

No children are allowed but pets are allowed. 

They each have their own room which is connected to the internet. Each room has a bed, nightstand, dresser, closet and desk and chair. The men and women each have their own shared bathroom/shower facilities.

To qualify to live there, each resident most make less than 30% of the median income in Greater Seattle. Right now, that 30% equates to $23,000. Most of the residents have jobs but do not make enough to have their own place, which is why a training facility with computers is in place. Most of them do not have cars.

Bob Ferguson, right, was on the County Council
in 2010 and gave Compass one of the
surplused County vans.

There is one van, given to them in 2010 by King County, to provide transportation but otherwise they use public buses to get to the VA hospital or wherever. If they have income, they pay 33% of their Net. 

There is a common kitchen area. The residents are not provided meals but Shree cooks one meal for them each week; another woman comes once a week and makes another meal for them; yet another patriot drops off a large donation of food once a week. 

So nobody goes hungry. One resident “Dave” said that he uses the $50 for whatever he happens to need at the time e.g. socks, underwear, food, clothes, etc.

Shree told us about one female veteran who showed up, whose apartment had just burnt down. The woman had lost everything --- she came with just the clothes she was wearing. After our prior visit (following our 2018 Veterans Day Buddy Poppy event), Shree had handed this woman a $50 gift card --- the woman teared up (she had not yet thought about what she needed to do) --- her eyes opened wide and she said “oh my, thank you. I have nothing.” It helped a little right then.

The story repeats from each veteran.

~~~~~

Carl ”Chris” Christophersen is the Post Commander for Blackburn-Aurora VFW Post 3348; and the District Commander for VFW District #2, Department of Washington



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Notes from Shoreline Council meeting June 17, 2019

Friday, June 21, 2019

Shoreline City Hall
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting 
June 17, 2019
Notes by Pam Cross


Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm
All Councilmembers were present

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry

About 50 people attended the June 15th World Dance Party that was co-sponsored by JHP Cultural Legacy and Shoreline Community College.

June 21st - Orca Celebration and Whale Trail Dedication from 1:00 to 3:00pm at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. Activities for the whole family.

Public Reminder: The Planning Commission meeting originally scheduled for June 20th has been cancelled.

There were no Council Reports

Public Comment

Ginny Scantlebury spoke about the housing and addiction crises.

The Agenda and the Consent Calendar were approved unanimously.

Action Item 8(a) Adoption of Ordinance No. 856 – Amending the Shoreline Master Program Pursuant to the Periodic Review Required by the Shoreline Management Act

Staff report by Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner

The City’s current Shoreline Master Program (SMP) became effective on September 2, 2013. The Shoreline Management Act requires cities to regularly update their SMPs. Shoreline is required to update its SMP on or before June 30, 2019.

This was last discussed in detail on May 6th. Since that meeting there are two additional proposed revisions: reformat SMC 20.230.020A to conform to standard practice and incorporate additional recommendations from Ecology to improve clarity for SMC 20.220.130 (Expiration of Permits).

If Council adopts the ordinance tonight, it still requires State approval before it becomes effective. That can take up to 60 days.

There was no discussion.

There was a motion to adopt Ordinance 856, amended to include the above two revisions, and to incorporate edits proposed by the Washington State Dept. of Ecology through the Initial Determination of Consistency.

This Action Item was adopted by unanimous consent. 


Study Item 9(a) Discussion of the King County Homelessness System Redesign

King County and the City of Seattle are actively working to implement a number of recent recommendations related to improving the regional response to homelessness. This agenda item is intended to provide the Council with an overview of that process and an opportunity to ask questions of the consultants and county staff working most directly on this initiative.

Colleen Kelly, Community Services Manager, introduced the members of the panel
  • Kira Zylstra, Acting Director of All Home,
  • Kelly Rider, Government Relations Specialist for the King County Department of Community and Human Services,
  • Ann Oliva with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
  • Marshall Buxton with National Innovation Service (NIS).
The current homelessness system is greatly fragmented between cities and different organizations. To take a unified approach, they plan to present an inter-local agreement in August to create an entirely new entity to govern this new system. Their goal to present this is September 2019, and they expect councils will be looking at this throughout the fall months.

As a way to align broader funding than just cities, they are also working on a regional action plan with corporations and philanthropists.

Key challenges from fragmentation are funding difficulties, many organizations looking for a way to address this growing problem, and no shared theory of change. There’s no single place to contact for information you need. So they are working towards a coordinated approach using a central authority for the region that will be data driven, equity centered, with a community wide commitment to implement a systemwide theory of change to achieve a common goal. This central authority must have the flexibility to work with differences between regions.

Discussion

Councilmember Chang
  • What do you mean by equity in this context. You don’t expect everyone to need the same thing. 
Answer: for example, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are not being adequately served.
  • What is a regional action plan (RAP) in this process? 
It provides a means to identify goals and strategies to develop a plan to address homelessness. It will rely on metrics and set measurable milestones, determine whether a sequence of, or parallel actions need to be taken because everything is interconnected.

And it must be a “living” document: as data comes in, as things work or don’t, we will need to continue to make changes to the document. We are at the front edge of this work. We have identified what we want to do, viewed available data and are now starting community engagement. What goals does the community want to achieve regarding homelessness? What priorities are most important for the community and who should drive the plan? At this point, no decisions have been made.

Councilmember Chang sees the need for a single entity but has concerns about community tailoring. 
  • How would signing on to this inter-local agreement work when, for example, Seattle is all in favor of something but Shoreline is not? How would this be resolved?
We don’t know at this time. This is a broad roadmap. If the plan says we need a certain number of beds, they may reach out and ask what you think your community can do. And then see how that works within our regional plan.

Mayor Hall: 
  • Seattle and King Co will be the initial signers and other cities will follow?
They don’t know. Currently they are still asking questions and seeing what interest is from other entities.

Councilmember Roberts: 
  • He understands the fragmented system isn’t working, but we don’t even know what this entity will do. We don’t know its specific purpose. We’ve had months of conversations but still don’t know. How can this be done by September?
The approach they are taking is to make the box smaller. They started with the big picture, and are now cutting back to what it will ultimately be. So, what does Shoreline want?

Councilmember McGlashan asked about the workshops and community outreach. 
  • Were they talking to only the homeless?
In their search to find out what is going on with the services, they talked to the homeless and advocacy groups. Parallel groups asked staff at various agencies and elected officials.
  • Can you briefly explain what CSH and NIS are?
CSH is a national non-profit that works to integrate supportive housing into state and national policy by consulting, providing technical assistance and lending for supportive housing (a bank).

NIS is a consultant group that partners with cities throughout the country.
  • Do we really need another regional - actually countywide authority? Councilmember McGlashan worked for several years on the 10 year plan to end homelessness. It fell apart - turned into a small group that was going to report to a bigger group. That’s now All Home, right? So why again?
Rather than tweak the structures that we have, we are making a more foundational shift this time to ensure the right level of authority to carry out the system. Or maybe the whole system needs to be redone.

Councilmember Scully: Because we wanted to know what more Shoreline could do, we had a staff of four working on this and it took them a year. This was partly due to the lack of a system to access the information. 

He appreciates that everyone is being asked what they want. Maybe it will work like the ARCH program (ARCH stands for A Regional Coalition for Housing which is a program to increase the supply of housing for low and moderate-income households/ pac). We could have the option to pay into it or we can supply components. 

If we can do a piece of it, and the other cities do a piece, and that way a local police officer who finds a person sleeping in a park, knows who to call. But it has to be voluntary. The local jurisdiction needs to control what will be put in their neighborhoods.

Councilmember Robertson: at a high level, she is supportive. 
  • But who would this new entity be accountable to?
That hasn’t been figured out. We don’t know about the board, the size of it, who will be on it and what their authority will be. How will this affect the nonprofits? One nonprofit might have different contracts with multiple entities. This will allow them have a single contract and one point of contact.
  • Right now it looks like a plan to make another plan etc. Look forward to seeing how this takes shape.
Deputy Mayor McConnell talked about trying to rent housing when you need to pay first and last month’s rent plus a damage deposit. You can’t even get in the door. If you go hiking, for example, and you get cold and can’t get warm, and can’t take care of your basic sanitation needs, you can feel your dignity slipping away. Being without a house is so quickly dehumanizing.

Mayor Hall stated that our economic development strategies have increased the cost of housing by attracting highly paid individuals to this area who then drive up the cost of rents. He believes this should be part of a public conversation.

He talked about some of the things Shoreline has done: create housing with wrap around services at 192nd, provide human services funding for people who need maybe just a month or two of rent or a utility paid, a methadone clinic and affordable housing mandates. But one catastrophic event can result in homelessness. And there are addiction issues and behavioral illnesses.

Councilmember Roberts: 
  • Will this new countywide system prevent Shoreline from giving directly to Hopelink or others?
Councilmember Chang: Shoreline requires community tailoring of services provided. We help with supportive housing and we’re pairing with King County for a community court. But Council also hears a lot from people worrying about their quality of life. They don’t want broken down RVs parked in the street, or people camping in local parks.


Study Item 9(b) Discussing Ordinance No. 863: Minor Amendments to the Aurora Square Community Renewal Area Planned Action Ordinance Planning and Community Development 

The Planning Commission recommends approval of Ordinance No. 863 which corrects a transcription error in Ordinance No. 705 the Planned Action for the Aurora Square Community Renewal Area (CRA).The City recently determined that trip generation numbers were incorrectly reported in the Environmental Impact Statement.

Rachael Markle, Planning and Community Development Director

The correct numbers have been added by addendum. They had no effect on the analysis. She responded to Councilmember Chang’s question by saying the math behind the scenes was correct, but for some reason the tables were wrong.

Ordinance brought back for consent calendar.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:32pm.


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Lake Forest Park Rotary - Homeless Youth Project

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Photo by azaroghli on Wiki Craze
Did you know that there are over 300 homeless students in the Shoreline School District, and approximately 100 of them are homeless high school students?

Did you know that after the age of 14, a young man is no longer welcome in any of the local shelters?

Did you know that although there are many services available for single mothers with children and for homeless families there are absolutely no services specifically designed for homeless youth in our area?

The problem of homelessness in the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park community is an unseen yet rapidly growing issue. In response to this, the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park has formed the Homeless Youth Project (HYP) to help address the specific problem of homeless high school students, a seriously underserved segment of the homeless population.

Over the last two years, the HYP committee members have toured local shelters, met with area service providers (Dale Turner Y, Vision House, Teen Link, NUHSA, Mary’s House, etc.), and worked with the Shoreline School District Family Advocates, Student Services Administrators, and PTA to determine how we might help.

Our initial approach was to provide funds for immediate needs such as transportation vouchers, gift cards to area grocery stores, winter coats, and meal vouchers for summer lunches.

All of these donations are necessary and helpful for immediate needs. But in order to truly improve the situation of our homeless teens in a long-term and sustainable way, we realized that a larger, more permanent solution was required.

We are now focused on working with local Shoreline and LFP City Administrators, Community Partners, and established Service Providers to expand youth services to our community, and to establish a Resource Center that will serve both families AND homeless youth.

This Resource Center will help identify temporary and long-term housing for homeless teens to help them complete their high school education and prepare for a successful life adventure, and provide additional services for homeless families. The Center will:

  • Focus specifically on the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park geographic area.
  • Be centrally located, with staff and published hours of operation. 
  • Compile and update contact information for all available services. 
  • Create an online resource/website to make these services easily accessible. 
  • Act as a central location for the distribution of Transportation Passes, Gift Cards, and Meal Tickets.
  • Provide a safe and clean space for homeless students to study, do laundry, shower, and get a meal. 

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park invites all of you to join us in helping address the homeless problem in our community. We are particularly focused on our homeless youth. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

To learn more about this project, the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park meets every week at 7:15am Wednesday at the Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church, 17440 Brookside Blvd NE, Lake Forest Park 98155. Please join us for a free breakfast or email George Piano at glpiano684@gmail.com for more information.



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Moving days are never easy

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Tents of all sizes are essential and since most are made for weekend camping the UV sun exposure deteriorates them easily. Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg


Text and photos by Marc Weinberg


I’ve been writing about and photographing various tent camps for more than 10 years. The Seattle Times regularly features the many sides of the issue of ‘homelessness’. Like most objective observers, I see camp members who desperately need the shelter and assistance that it provides. 

There are also those whose histories of domestic abuse/divorce or financial crisis have left them with little alternative. Whatever the case, or whatever you believe: the reality is what we see or read about every day.

Garden of greens makes things more like home
Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg
 

One particular camp called United We Stand has managed to successfully organize itself around a model that has been tested over time and is self-managed with the help of a Board of Directors which meets monthly, and the camp management team which meets weekly.

With a license to shelter 35 residents the camp maintains a manageable size, with a few newcomers each month as others move on. They have 501c3 status, so donations may be tax deductible. More than fifty percent of the members are employed and most of the others are looking. There is a zero tolerance policy for drugs or alcohol.

Camp Galley for food storage and meal preparation 
Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg


Residents pay a monthly maintenance fee to help support expenses like portable toilets, power and water. They are always in need of blankets, hand sanitizer, lumber, large tarps, tents and propane.

When I visit garage or estate sales I always ask if they would like to donate to a camp like this. There have been times on a Sunday when my car has been packed to the roof with items I have collected in this way. For me it’s like a scavenger hunt finding things they might need. Give it a try and see what useful items you can find. The pleasure of giving in this way is gratifying.

For short trips around Shoreline, like to the YMCA for a shower, bikes come in handy
Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg
 

Camp United We Stand is currently at Calvin Presbyterian Church at 18826 3rd Ave NW (at the corner of 185th St). They will be moving to Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th St during the week of June 8-15, 2019.

Veggies on the vine, home grown peas
Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg
 

Moving Days are Never Easy and help is needed. If you have a pickup or van and you could spend even half a day during this time you will get an insight into the people and the culture of tent camp life. On June 15th in particular any help will be appreciated as materials will be transported in larger trucks to their next home site.



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Homeless count declines in King county

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Count Us In 2019 found 11,199 people experiencing homelessness across the region on January 25, 2019, including 5,971 people sheltered in emergency shelters, safe havens and transitional housing and 5,228 people on the streets, in vehicles or staying in tents or encampments.

The count marks a 17 percent decrease in unsheltered people and an eight percent decrease overall, the first decrease in homelessness in the region in the past seven years.

Decreases were observed across multiple populations, including families with children (seven percent), veterans (ten percent), and unaccompanied youth and young adults (28 percent).

“This report highlights the regional nature of homelessness and the need for truly regional solutions and community collaboration,” said Kira Zylstra, Acting Director of All Home. 
“This crisis is felt across the entire County and continues to impact communities of color, people identifying as LGBTQ+, and people living with disabilities at higher rates. 
"As we continue to work together, I have hope that the progress we have seen can continue and accelerate until all people in King County have a place to call home.”

From All Home


The full report detailed homelessness in every region in King County. Sixty-eight percent of the county’s unsheltered population identified during the street count were residing in Seattle, marking a 21 percent decrease in Seattle compared to 2018. Twenty-one percent of unsheltered individuals were residing in the Southwest region, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2018. 

The balance of unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness were residing in East County (six percent of total), North County (two percent), Northeast County (two percent), and Southeast County (one percent).

Changes in the unsheltered population compared to 2018 were noted in the report, with the number of individuals residing in tents or unsanctioned encampments increasing by 32 percent and the number of individuals residing in vehicles decreasing by 36 percent.

As in past counts, the majority of individuals experiencing homelessness in Seattle/King County identified as people of color.

This is consistent with regional and national data as well. When compared to the racial demographics of King County’s general population, the largest disparities are among those identifying as Black or African American (32 percent compared to six percent), American Indian/Alaskan Native (10 percent compared to 1 percent), and Hispanic or Latino (15 percent compared to 10 percent).

Families identified as people of color at higher rates than single adults and youth and young adults, and individuals identifying with multiple races or as American Indian/Alaska Native reported the highest rates of being unsheltered.

Homelessness also disproportionately impacts people identifying as LGBTQ+ according to the report.

Twenty one percent of Count Us In survey respondents identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, questioning, queer, or other. This compares to a 2015 Gallup U.S. Daily survey that estimated that about five percent of the general population living in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This disparity is even more pronounced among unaccompanied youth and young adults under twenty five years old, with 34 percent identifying as LGBTQ+.

Individuals identifying as transgender or with a gender other than male or female reported the highest rates of being unsheltered.

Tent City 3 in the snows of February in Shoreline
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Disparities were also found among people living with a disability. Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents indicated that they were living with at least one health condition that was disabling, i.e. preventing them from holding employment, living in stable housing, or taking care of themselves, yet in 2018, just 6.4% of people under the age of 65 in the general King County population are people living with a disability.

While the estimate of unsheltered homelessness decreased overall, the number of people sheltered on the night of the count increased, indicating more people in crisis are connecting to the services and resources they need. During 2018, Seattle, King County and other jurisdictions added just over 530 new emergency shelter beds across the region.

Vision House's Jacob's Well homeless project
in Shoreline, housing women and children


The point-in-time count provides a snapshot of homelessness on a given night in January. To provide a more detailed look at the homeless service system and the people served, All Home recently unveiled a new interactive data dashboard. The dashboard provides the most current information available on the people enrolled in services and affirms that exits to permanent housing have increased over the past three years, with 17,992 successful exits between 2016 and 2018.

Despite increased system capacity and efficiency, the rate at which people are becoming homeless outpaces the ability to house them within existing resources.

Photo from Seattle Municipal Archives
Looking ahead, the City of Seattle, King County and All Home have joined with many community partners to begin to design a regional action plan and a new consolidated authority to address regional homelessness.

In December, King County Executive Constantine and Seattle Mayor Durkan affirmed 10 interdependent Actions to unify and redesign the regional response to homelessness. That work is focused on building a system that is accountable to customers and is based on a shared, community-wide theory of change.

The complete 2019 Count Us In report can be found on the All Home website.




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NUHSA event May 19 - documentary screening, discussion and tour Hopelink

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Join NUHSA on Sunday, May 19, 2019 from 4 - 7pm at Hopelink (17837 Aurora Ave. N. Shoreline) for a special screening of Trickle Down Town, followed by a facilitated discussion and tour of Hopelink, a local emergency services provider and food bank.

Tomasz Biernacki’s new thought-provoking documentary about the homeless crisis in Seattle deftly interweaves in-depth stories of community members who are living the crisis on the streets with interviews of political leaders and community advocates, along with vivid images of the current state of affairs and a poignant examination of the roots of homelessness in the region.

Biernacki paints a picture of a region struggling to come to grips with an unprecedented emergency and finds a few glimmers of hope.

Biernacki says, “I have discovered that most people have... knee-jerk reactions and false beliefs... about the homeless.

They see the tents, the RVs, the addicted people who have untreated mental and physical health issues, and instead of doing something to help their neighbors, they degrade, cast away, and add insult to injury.

I want people to see that there are concrete, simple steps people can take every day to help the situation. It’s going to have to be a grassroots effort.”

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are gladly accepted.




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NUHSA presents tours of King County Housing Authority site and Hopelink

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Don’t miss two upcoming events 
presented by the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA)!

Ballinger Commons

Your King County Housing Authority
Transforming Lives Through Housing in North King County

Thursday, May 16th
4:00 - 5:30pm 
Ballinger Commons


Have you wondered what the housing authority does, where they have properties, or what kind of an impact they have in a community? Join us for an overview of the several King County Housing Authority (KCHA) properties in North King County and learn about their impact on our community. 

KCHA provides rental housing and assistance to more than 55,000 people, supporting the health and well-being of residents while also providing community centers and educational programs.

This event is being sponsored as part of Affordable Housing Week to inspire action for housing affordability throughout the Puget Sound region. Check out the numerous programs, tours, events and speakers being offered throughout King County here.



“Trickle Down Town” 
Film Screening and Hopelink Tour

Sunday, May 19th
4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Hopelink 


Join us for a special screening of Trickle Down Town, followed by a facilitated discussion and tour of Hopelink, a local emergency services provider and food bank.

Tomasz Biernacki’s new thought-provoking documentary about the homeless crisis in Seattle deftly interweaves in-depth stories of community members who are living the crisis on the streets with interviews of political leaders and community advocates, along with vivid images of the current state of affairs and a poignant examination of the roots of homelessness in the region. 

Biernacki paints a picture of a region struggling to come to grips with an unprecedented emergency and finds a few glimmers of hope.

Biernacki says, “I have discovered that most people have... knee-jerk reactions and false beliefs... about the homeless. 
"They see the tents, the RVs, the addicted people who have untreated mental and physical health issues, and instead of doing something to help their neighbors, they degrade, cast away, and add insult to injury. 
"I want people to see that there are concrete, simple steps people can take every day to help the situation. It’s going to have to be a grassroots effort.”

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are gladly accepted.

Who is welcome to attend our events? Everyone! Members of the community, local leaders, elected officials, business owners, agencies and faith communities all welcome!

RSVP is appreciated but not required: staff@NUHSA.org

Sponsored by NUHSA (North Urban Human Services Alliance) and in partnership with representatives from the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park, King County Library System, the Cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, Ronald United Methodist Church, Hopelink, and Center for Human Services



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Open House for the 198th Affordable Housing Project

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Site of 198th Affordable Housing Project


Wednesday, April 10, 2019, from 6:30 - 8:30pm the City of Shoreline and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington will hold an Open House about the 198th Affordable Housing Project at City of Shoreline City Hall

There will be a brief presentation at 6:45pm.

The 198th Affordable Housing Project will serve individuals who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Catholic Housing Services and Community Psychiatric Clinic bring a combined 160 years of experience developing and managing affordable housing projects and providing behavioral health services. 

Residents living in the apartment complex will be connected to supportive services, helping them in their effort to maintain stable housing.

The project team will host an open house to update the community on the 100-unit housing project, answer questions, and ask for feedback on some high-visibility design elements.

More information: shorelinewa.gov/198th



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