Response to Homelessness

Communities across the nation continue to face significant challenges related to homelessness. Homelessness is a complex issue influenced by many factors. A lack of affordable housing plays a substantial role in the rise of homelessness but other circumstances can also contribute, including behavioral health and substance abuse challenges, medical issues, job loss, rising housing costs, family disruption, and other major life events. In many cases, homelessness results as a combination of these factors. Because the causes of homelessness are complex and often interconnected, addressing homelessness requires coordination among many partners, including local governments, service providers, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies. Communities throughout Thurston County are working together to better understand and respond to these regional challenges.

The City recognizes that homelessness remains a serious issue affecting individuals, families, and the broader community. The City is committed to working with community partners to support compassionate and practical approaches that help connect individuals with social services and housing resources, as well as services to prevent homelessness from occurring. The City is actively engaged in a number of initiatives and programs aimed at disrupting the root causes of homelessness, increasing and maintaining affordable housing stock in the community, and preventing or reducing experiences of homelessness. The City engages in this work in four distinct ways:

Direct social service outreach & clean-up response;
Coordinated efforts with regional and community partners;
Providing funding to support the work of non-profit and other governmental entities; and
Advocacy for more comprehensive solutions to homelessness at the state and federal level.

Through these efforts, the City strives to provide and support services in the community that promote community wellbeing and enhance safety for all residents. The following provides a brief overview of the ways the City of Lacey is working to address homelessness in the community.