PORT ANGELES — Peninsula housing programs, like many of their clients, have some economic choices to make.
In a recession, more people need help with housing, but there is less money available to do it.
Representatives from more than a dozen agencies and organizations met Wednesday for the 11th annual Planning Forum on Ending Homelessness to discuss how to combat the imbalance.
They called it an “economic tsunami” and a “perfect storm of economic impacts.”
State funding will be greatly reduced but not eliminated, state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, told the gathering.
“It’s a very challenging time,” said Tharinger, who represents the 24th District — which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County — and also is a Clallam County commissioner.
Legislative efforts to reduce funding instead of eliminating important programs was partially successful, he said.
Keep programs alive
Such a move keeps programs alive for the future, when they can be returned to full funding when the state is in better condition, he said.
For example, home health care will be reduced by 10 percent, adult day health by $17 million, and there will be no more funding for eyeglasses or hearing aids.
Reductions saved a program for disabled individuals by allowing recipients to continue receiving housing assistance but eliminating cash payments, he said.
Local agencies that work to prevent homelessness and assist the “chronically homeless” to gain homes and jobs will need to make some changes, forum participants said.
One of the first moves is to change from county to regional programs.
Clallam and Jefferson counties’ public housing assistance organizations are merging to become the Peninsula Public Housing Authority, Pam Tietz said.
“In the near future, funders may require [regionalization],” Tietz said.
Local investment
State and federal agencies want to see more local and regional investment before they are willing to add money to local projects, she said.
Some recent funding recipients had as many as five counties involved in the application process, she said.
The first meeting of the new regional organization will be held in Jamestown in October.
Organizers addressed the concern that Clallam County’s excellence in helping homeless people get off the streets and into homes or apartments has been attracting new homeless to the area.
“We’re doing a good job here,” said Serenity House Executive Coordinator Martha Ireland.
When word spreads, yes, there will be some who will be attracted to the area, but it is not a major problem, Ireland said.
“It is a persistent myth,” she said.
According to housing authority statistics, more than 90 percent of the participants in Clallam programs were living in Clallam County when they became homeless.
“They’re not the ones you meet, not the ones with signs asking for change,” Ireland said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
