Purpose and target population:

The purpose is eradicating homelessness in Whatcom County. The

target population is people experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County.
Target population and service environment:
The service environment in Whatcom County does have quite a few
resources compared to many other places but that doesnt mean that the
services are perfect or that there are enough resources. We should be
striving to end homelessness not to just make it better in comparison to
other places. This is our community and Whatcom County should strive to
help the people within its community by eradicating homelessness.
Currently, services in Whatcom County includes the Whatcom Homeless
Service Center, which provides centralized, coordinated entry to community
housing and service programs targeted to people experiencing or at risk of
homelessness (Whatcom Homeless Service Center). The service
environment also includes the Whatcom County Coalition to End
Homelessness which works to become knowledgeable on the different
characteristics that need to be addressed within Whatcoms homeless
population. The coalition this past year in 2014 found that there were 553
homeless persons and 376 homeless households in Whatcom (A Home For
Everyone, 2012). There are also many other specific service providers but
many of them make up these two groups. Something that many of those
working within these agencies have spoken about is trying to get more

housing first options. This is because the alternative is staying under

temporary housing (a shelter) or the streets.
It has been common for those experiencing homelessness to create
tent cities. Tent cities are temporary housing facilities usually made out of
tents or other temporary structures (Hilow, 2012). There have been a few
tent cities and areas around Whatcom but they have continuously been
destroyed as they are viewed as an eyesore or are on someones property.
The idea is to create a more sustainable (environment friendly) housing
community which could have a housing first and harm reduction model. The
knowledge of effectiveness in a harm reduction model came from the
Research Report: Distinct Housing Needs Series done by the Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The Research Report: Distinct Housing Needs Series largely focuses on
harm reduction models that have been used. Perhaps the most significant
issue that emerges from this study is the degree of success that can be
achieved with the housing first approach. The case studies in this report
show that most people who are homeless, even if they have substance use
issues and concurrent disorders, can be successfully housed directly from the
street if they are given the right supports when they want them. If the goal is
to end homelessness, the results of this study make it clear that for many
people who are homeless, a housing first approach would make this
possible (Deborah, 2006). A housing first model makes sense for Whatcom

County since in the 2014 report found that 44% of people experiencing
homelessness were living with addiction or mental illness (A Home For
Everyone, 2012).
Identify stakeholders:
The stakeholders within Whatcom County would include people
experiencing homelessness, service providers (human service professionals),
city officials and the community at large. The people experiencing
homelessness would be directly affected by the housing project. The service
providers would be assessing the effectiveness over time of the project. The
city officials would need to be in support of the project for the project to be
approved and to provide funding for the proposed program. The community
at large would also be a stakeholder since homelessness affects a whole
community.
Current programs to address the issue :
There are, as mentioned previously, many programs in the area
working on this issue. There are over 20 programs operated by local partner
agencies, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing (Whatcom Homeless Service
Center) working within the Whatcom County Homeless Service Center. The
Homeless Center, along with other programs, has contributed to the
consistent decline of homelessness in Whatcom County since 2008
(Whatcom Homeless Service Center). Even though the programs in place are

showing positive outcomes there is still a need for continuing and improving
upon these efforts. Due to changing definitions of homelessness within
Washington, the perception around this population has changed perhaps
skewing the data on homelessness.
This assessment is seeking to find an additional way to help those
experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County. As previously discussed,
there are many successful programs that are similar to the one being
proposed. Currently in Whatcom County, the existing programs serving the
homeless population are limited in spaces and funding. They are also limited
in that not all their housing options, temporary and more permanent, are a
harm reduction model. For example, there is no shelter in Whatcom County
that houses those under the influence over night. Another example is that
most housing programs require at least 30 days clean (abstinent from
substances) which can also be a barrier. This housing option would create
more available spaces and would allow many who normally dont qualify to
qualify.
Additional information:

What also is important to consider is the argument for not having

homeless community housing set ups that replace temporary housing such
as tent cities or shelters. What do the homeless population in Whatcom
County thinks of having a small housing community set up for those that are
facing homelessness? What do they think of it being a housing first/harm
reduction model? What scale would be viable to fund, meaning how many

small homes within this housing community could we fund? Would city
officials support the creation of this? Would all stakeholders be open to doing
a housing first/harm reduction model for this housing? Will the community
support it?
Method of assessment:
The methods used would include surveys, informant interviews and a
focus group. The survey would address the need/want for a form of a small
sustainable homes being provided for the homeless in lieu of creating or
living in a tent city. The survey would then be distributed to those
experiencing homelessness through service providers, soup kitchens,
shelters and workers who walk the streets connecting with homeless.
Surveys would also be provided to service workers in determining the
need/want/effectiveness of this program over time and a very similar survey
would be given to city officials. Surveys would also be sent to community
members before and after the focus group to see if any views within the
community had altered. For example, did people feel they saw less people
experiencing homelessness?
Due to having a focus group we would have to end up creating a mock
example of what the housing community would be like for the focus group.
The housing would also be set up as a housing first/harm reduction model
which would also help service providers gauge the effectiveness of this

program for individuals who normally dont receive the benefits of all current
services in place.
The population being assessed would be those experiencing
homelessness conducted through multiple perspectives to understand the
effectiveness and the pros/cons of this idea. The survey would also help
professionals gauge community opinions and attitudes as well as city officials
and service providers. This could help the community better understand their
stigmas and what kind of education Whatcom might need. Education on the
topic might also help with Whatcom County public support for this housing
option being created.

References
Whatcom Homeless Service Center. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from
http://usich.gov/usich_resources/solutions/explore/whatcom_homeless_service_cent
er
A Home For Everyone. (2014, May 1). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from
http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/wchac/pdf/2014_homelsss_person_count_repor
t.pdf

Temporary dwellings. Michael Regis Hilow director, producer, screenwriter. 2012],

1991 http://onesearch.library.wwu.edu/WWU:CP71110747200001451
Homelessness, housing, and harm reduction stable housing for homeless people
with substance use issues. Deborah Kraus Michael Goldberg 1943-; Luba Serge;
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. c2006
http://onesearch.library.wwu.edu/WWU:CP71124405980001451