The City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department provided a comprehensive update on its persistent efforts to combat homelessness during a joint Study Session held with the Tacoma City Council and the Pierce County Council.
Over the past year, the City’s Homeless Engagement Alternatives Liaison (HEAL) Team has been diligently working to secure additional contracted shelter providers while enhancing the coordination and reporting mechanisms for shelter utilization and availability.
With a remarkable tally of nearly 2,500 outreach contacts made in this year alone, the HEAL Team has successfully connected over 200 individuals who were experiencing homelessness with housing solutions.
In recognition of the pressing need to address homelessness, the City has allocated a substantial $35.7 million for homelessness services and programs during this biennium. The City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness acknowledges that effectively ending homelessness in Tacoma requires a multi-pronged approach. This includes short-term measures to meet immediate needs such as shelter and longer-term strategies built upon strong public-private partnerships to tackle housing affordability in the community.
The City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness is closely aligned with its Affordable Housing Action Strategy. This broader strategy aims to enhance access to rental assistance, establish a Workforce Development and Financial Empowerment program, and bolster available resources for individuals facing a housing crisis.
Furthermore, the City’s approach is in sync with Pierce County’s Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness. This county-wide initiative seeks to create a unified regional approach with the ambitious goal of achieving “functional zero” homelessness. This means that any person initiating a new episode of homelessness should have immediate access to shelter and a permanent housing solution. The plan emphasizes consultation and coordination among various stakeholders committed to ending homelessness, including those experiencing it, Pierce County and local municipalities, nonprofits, service providers, the business community, philanthropic organizations, faith groups, and more.
This approach, already employed in nearly 100 communities across the United States, including major cities, suburban, urban, and rural areas, has yielded impressive results. Fourteen communities have successfully ended homelessness for target populations, and 44 communities have achieved measurable reductions, demonstrating the effectiveness of a unified and comprehensive approach.
