The Metropolitan King County Council’s Law, Justice and Human Services Committee today approved an ordinance adopting the Ten-Year Plan to End Homeless in King County, the blueprint that will guide the implementation, responsibilities and expectations for both the Committee to End Homelessness and the county programs that will play key roles for the plan to succeed.

“King County has managed to stabilize funding for important human services, but our investment in our community safety net has fallen short of the overwhelming need,” said King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, Chair of the Law, Justice and Human Services Committee. “Everyday, vulnerable populations slip through the cracks and our current level of services are unable to meet their needs. Never before has such a broad group of leaders come together to tackle homelessness in our community in a comprehensive manner.”

The Ten-Year Plan was written by the Committee to End Homelessness in King County. The committee was formed in 2000 to change how the community responds to homelessness by examining how to better utilize existing services, improve current policies and propose new services to end homelessness.

Founding members represented the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the city of Seattle, King County, United Way of King County, the Eastside Human Services Alliance, the North Urban Human Services Alliance, the South King County Council of Human Services and the Seattle-King County Coalition for the Homeless. A broad range of organizations and homeless advocacy groups have dedicated staff and other resources to support the efforts of the committee and continue to be involved in the plan’s implementation.

On any given night, 8,000 people are homeless in King County and 24,000 county residents will experience at least one episode of homelessness in the upcoming year. The 2004 One Night Count of King County’s homeless population showed a 13 percent increase in the number of homeless persons living on the streets or in the shelters of King County. Earlier this week, census data was released showing that poverty is up 40 percent in King County.”

“The ten-year plan recognizes that we will not end homeless with one action, in one step or with one approach, said Patterson. “The plan includes a guiding principal that calls for multiple steps to ending homeless in our community.”

Federal and state governments have required that local communities create ten-year plans to end homelessness in their communities. In the 2005 legislative session, the Washington State Legislature provided a new source of funding for services and housing programs that will be implemented as part of a homeless housing plan. King County expects to receive $3 million annually from the new state program. The ordinance adopted by the Law, Justice and Human Services Committee requires the Committee to End Homelessness to recommend programs and strategies that will reduce homelessness for funding to the King County Council by December 31, 2005.

The ordinance will also come before the council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee before it is forwarded to the full County Council for final action.

Read more about this legislation on King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system
Type in "2005-0371"