Helping our unsheltered neighbors

​By Paul Pickett

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

​We see them all over town, living in tents, or just curled up in a sheltered place in a sleeping bag or tarp. They may seem faceless, or even dangerous, but they are our neighbors and fellow citizens. We call them the homeless, the unhoused, or the unsheltered. They are defined by what they lack – a secure permanent residence with a roof, four walls, heating, and the other features that make up what we call a home. Most are facing personal challenges, which may be related to personal finances, substance abuse, or mental health.

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​Maybe, like me, you’ve wondered about these folks. Are we trying to help them, find them housing, address the problems that led them to live outside? 

​Causes of homelessness

The causes of homelessness have been discussed widely, and I won’t take a deep dive into that issue here. In a nutshell, it’s a combination of a lack of affordable housing, a weak safety net for people in economic crisis, and widespread problems with “self-medication” and mental illness. To learn how homelessness plays out in Clallam County, check out Danny Steiger’s blog. Danny is President & CEO of Lumber Traders (which operates Hartnagels, Angeles Millwork, and Angeles Rental), and Board President of Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County. He created a blog called “Clallam County Solutions,” where you can find his articles, “The Realities of Homelessness in Port Angeles: A Community in Context,” “The People Who Show Up: Clallam County’s Safety Net in Action,” and “The Challenges Within the System.” 

Homelessness is a complex issue. I’m limiting myself here to a couple questions: What are we doing to solve this problem, and how can each of us help?

​Clallam County’s response to homelessness

The Clallam County Health and Human Services Department (HHS) plays a key role in funding and coordinating responses to homelessness. I checked in with Jenny Oppelt, Deputy Director of HHS, to learn more. 

A focal point for county action is their 2025–2030 Homeless Housing Plan. This plan supports requests for grant funding and sets priorities for the County. I asked Jenny how the plan is implemented. “By turning its five objectives into concrete action steps, timelines, and partner responsibilities,” she responded. She described a variety of strategies, and explained that “implementation occurs through the Homelessness Task Force (HTF), partner cities and other government organizations, Tribes, community providers, and county departments.” She explained that progress is monitored through data from the State's Homeless Management Information System, as well as from “community reports, and regular assessments of shelter, outreach, and housing systems.” (Read Jenny’s detailed response.)

Funding for implementing the County Plan is critical. The State provides almost a half a million dollars, and they have also authorized the County to direct local document recording fees toward “Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing and Assistance.” The HTF oversees and advises on the allocation of funding. 

Jenny listed the County’s priorities for action:

• Strengthening the crisis response system – supporting one-stop access, shelters, safe parking, and tiny shelter villages.
• Supporting the workforce – retaining and training the staff who provide frontline homeless services.
• Preventing homelessness – investing in rent stabilization, eviction prevention, workforce training, and employment partnerships.
• Prioritizing assistance for those with the highest barriers – expanding respite care, medical discharge planning, and coordination with behavioral health and hospitals.
• Increasing stable housing options – working with landlords, creating an accessible county housing information hub, and advancing housing for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, youth, and others with complex needs.

County Commissioner Mike French provided some perspective. “We have a wide variety of service providers that do excellent work,” he told me, “but they can't be successful if there isn't a unit available for an individual or family who is experiencing homelessness.” He explains that the County has been deploying funding “to help local affordable housing developers grab large state and federal grants, which is adding a considerable number of units to our local affordable housing inventory.”

​Support from organizations and programs

Membership on the HTF is striking. It includes representatives from the County, three major cities, four Tribes, and eighteen other community interest areas and groups spread across a wide range of local concerns. 

A central player in addressing homelessness is Serenity House, a leading nonprofit housing organization in Clallam County. Many of you may only be familiar with their Thrift Store in Sequim, but that’s just a key funding source for a variety of Serenity House projects, including a 24/7 Adult Shelter, eviction prevention, housing assistance, and crisis response. They also conduct the Point In Time census, which documents those living unsheltered or in emergency shelters or transitional housing. 

I talked to Matt Wilson, Business Development Manager for Serenity House, who explained that Serenity House is focused on “getting roofs over people’s heads.” Matt discussed his experience with his organization. “I grew up in the area, but I didn’t know what Serenity House really does. After six months working at Serenity House, I was just beginning to see the scope of all they do. We’re not just the thrift store, not just the adult shelter. We have three permanently supported housing sites. Our team works with tenants facing imminent eviction and their landlords to pair them with programs that can save their housing. We try to find solutions.”

The County’s 2025 Homelessness Annual Report lists eight different organizations getting funding for a dozen programs: Serenity House, The Answer for Youth (TAFY), Mariposa House, Olympic Community Action Program, Boys & Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula, North Olympic Regional Veteran’s Housing Network, and Health Families of Clallam County. Services cover shelters, emergency and transitional housing, and mental health support. 

The length of this article does not allow me to do justice to every group. I hope to provide a flavor for what’s going on. Some groups have a housing focus, some work on the mental health angle. Peninsula Behavioral Health, for example, works with the homeless on mental health and substance abuse issues. They manage a 26-unit “Permanent Supportive Housing Community,” and will complete another 36-unit development later this year. Their website explains that these communities “offer a blend of privacy and on-site support, helping residents develop daily living skills, manage mental health and wellness, connect with community resources, and successfully transition to more independent housing.”

As you drive down 1st Street in Port Angeles, just before you reach Race Street, you have probably noticed the Sprouting Hope Greenhouse, which is also the home for The Answer for Youth (TAFY). Susan Hillgren, TAFY’s Director, was blunt and to the point. “Our goal is to keep them alive while we hope they get into treatment.” 

Susan described her organization. “We work with the teen-age population – the under-18 population needs help.” She explained how many youth drop out of high school, but then find no support. “They won’t make a change for themselves before they feel they’re worthy.” 

She talked about the challenges of addressing homelessness. “Rules and regulations have reduced housing. We could do safe parking lots.” (These are parking lots that are safe for people to stay and live, which is one strategy to improve living conditions for the unsheltered. An example is the Safe Parking Program created by the Trinity Methodist Church in Sequim.) She mentioned she'd like to see porta-potties and garbage cans for the homeless. She continued, “some of the unhoused are alcohol addicts, some are meth heads or have mental health issues, but some are clean and sober. There are generational issues – their parents and grandparents had problems, too.” She commented on the lack of education of the public. “This isn’t about how they are doing their drugs, the question is why they are doing drugs. Homelessness is not the enemy.” 

Susan added that “the County has a plan so they can get funding.” She told me, “the County is doing what they need to do, but a lot of money just goes to paying wages. We need quality help to make changes. My volunteers are there because they care. TAFY works because it works for today, we live in the moment. We are not stuck in the long-term ‘what-ifs.’” 

​State support for addressing homelessness

Critical to these efforts are actions taken by the State. I asked our State Senator Mike Chapman about what happened in the latest legislative session. He told me “we did a lot in the Housing space again this year!” His list of accomplishments includes: 

• The Operating Budget provides $200 million in housing and homelessness funding, including $123 million for the Housing Trust Fund.
• The Capital Budget provides $889 million to fund construction projects and infrastructure across Washington.
• Nine different bills that the legislature passed to help make it easier and cheaper to build shelters and affordable housing. Two bills passed by a near-unanimous vote, and seven passed with most or all votes from Democratic legislators.

(See the complete list with details.) 

​People’s unique homeless situations

​The County Plan describes homeless numbers in Clallam County. Total homeless individuals number 285, of which 175 are unsheltered (living in tents or vehicles for example) and the rest in shelters or transitional housing. From 2023 to 2024, the number of homeless people increased by 25%, while homeless over the age of 65 increased by 65%. Jenny explains that “health conditions cause expenses they can’t afford, since they are on a fixed income, or their spouse dies and they lose that income.” But this only hints at what is happening with homelessness. The Point In Time (PIT) census likely undercounts the unsheltered. And it doesn’t include all the people who have successfully moved into permanent housing and addressed their mental health and substance abuse problems. 

There isn’t one kind of “homeless person”. Every one of them has their unique set of issues – low income, no income, age, background, mental health, etc. The community network addressing homelessness is equally complex. Different groups tackle different aspects of the problem, such as the psychological and economic needs of people, crisis intervention, and creating affordable housing. It’s a jig-saw puzzle addressing a spectrum of needs. 

Jenny mentioned that there are often comments in meetings that are not accurate. “It's challenging when a person's opinion is presented as a fact.” She gave an example of the belief that everyone who is homeless is using drugs. “The PIT survey looks at drug use. The majority of people who are homeless are not using drugs. And more often when people become unhoused, they may start using drugs as a result.”

​How we can help

There are a wide range of views regarding the efforts to address homelessness in Clallam County. Some people feel that current efforts are failing, like County Commissioner Candidate Jake Seegers, whose website states, “Clallam County’s strategies to end homelessness are not working.” Some, like Susan, are critical of current efforts and believe that not enough is being done. And some, like Matt and Jenny, say that we are making progress, or that we are preventing things from being worse. But all would agree on one one point: we need to do more.

So what can you do to help? Clearly there’s a huge need for financial help and volunteer help at all of the nonprofit groups working on homelessness. Susan from TAFY said “find someone with an empty parking lot they’d be willing to donate.” Matt at Serenity House told me, “donate to the Thrift Store – these funds are extremely valuable, they don’t have strings attached like grants, which helps with emergency situations. Direct donations are good. If we can get the people donating to our monthly Advocate program in the same numbers as people we help, we could fill Serenity’s funding gaps. We support over 4,000 people, and our goal is 3,000 Advocates.” 

Jenny provided a list of ways community members can help:

• Supporting or volunteering with local service providers, shelters, and outreach programs.
• Learning about the root causes of homelessness—such as the severe shortage of affordable housing and rising rents in Clallam County—and sharing accurate information.
• Advocating for affordable housing development, supportive housing projects, and continued funding at the state and local levels.
• Encouraging landlords to participate in rental voucher and supportive housing programs.
• Supporting workforce development and training opportunities for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

​Jenny summed up the situation well. “It takes a whole community to support what’s happening in this world. We all need to work together.”