SideWalk Hands Over 500th Set of Keys in Effort to End Homelessness

sidewalk gingerbread village
Celebrate SideWalk's 500th client that got off the streets and into a home. Gingerbread Village will be on display at The Washington Center on November 28 - 29.
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Submitted by SideWalk

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SideWalk Director, Phil Owen stands in front of the real-time data whiteboard tracking successful housing outcomes of the chronic and non-chronic homeless clients.

SideWalk is on a mission to end homelessness in Thurston County. This may seem like an unreachable goal, but we know a simple truth – housing ends homelessness.

We know this because, in less than three years, we have supported 500 people in our community to get off the streets and into homes. Five hundred people are no longer living on the streets, or in cars, or camping in the woods. Five hundred people are now our neighbors – with safe, permanent places to call home.

Our Rapid Rehousing program is a “Housing First” model, which focuses on first making sure that people experiencing homelessness can quickly establish stable housing. Then additional services, like ongoing case management, are provided on an as-needed basis. Research shows that it is cheaper to provide housing than to leave homeless individuals on the streets.

The Rapid Rehousing approach is effective for 80% to 90% of the homeless population and is extremely cost effective. For an average of just $1,200 per person, we can help with things like a deposit and short-term rental assistance – just enough to help them get back on their feet. The reality is that the majority of the people who walk through our doors at SideWalk are already doing all the “right things,” they just need a second chance and a helping hand.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, The vast majority of homeless individuals and families fall into homelessness after a housing or personal crisis that led them to seek help from the homeless assistance system. For these families and individuals, the Housing First approach is ideal, as it provides them with assistance to find permanent housing quickly and without conditions. In turn, such clients of the homeless assistance networks need surprisingly little support or assistance to achieve independence, saving the system considerable costs.”

Terry is a SideWalk client who had a “great life” until her parents and sister passed away within a short time span. She had a good job for almost twelve years, but when she lost it, she got behind on rent. She had to rely on her housemates to keep things afloat, but they began verbally and physically abusing her and she eventually had to leave an unhealthy situation. With nowhere to go, she ended up on the streets.

sidewalk gingerbread village
Celebrate SideWalk’s 500th client that got off the streets and into a home. Gingerbread Village will be on display at The Washington Center on November 28 – 29.

“I slept in hospitals, slept in bus stops, slept in storage units, slept underneath a freeway, anywhere I could stay safe. I have been trying to look for work, but without showers and an address and a phone, it’s hard to get a job. I miss working a full time job, working 40 hours a week. And it’s kinda scary but SideWalk helped me, you know, a lot. I would like to get a job to get off the streets and get back on my horse, get a steady job…get a full time job, get back on my feet and eventually help SideWalk out and tell people SideWalk is a good place to get help.”

Five hundred people may not seem like a lot on the surface, but if we continue to house clients like Terry at this rate, we will be on track to virtually end homelessness in our community by the end of the decade. Here’s how we’re going to do it:

  • A solid team of volunteer advocates is in already place and we have begun increasing client service hours.
  • We are recruiting and training a pool of veteran volunteers to work with our veteran clients and increase the rate at which they are housed.
  • Along with multiple agency partners, we are developing a permanent supportive housing program for the most vulnerable individuals among the chronically homeless population.

Five hundred Homes. Five hundred sets of keys. Five hundred smiles. Five hundred people off the streets. Here’s how you can help to house the next 500:

  • Volunteer – We are successfully moving people out of homelessness and into permanent housing – at a shockingly fast rate. You can be part of this spectacularly rewarding work.
  • Celebrate – Join us for this year’s Gingerbread Village event on November 28-29 at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Teams of bakers and artists will create a stunning variety of gingerbread house designs, to be voted on and then auctioned off! The Gingerbread Village is free to the public and visitors can purchase $1 tickets to vote on their favorite houses and castles. The auction will take place during the Gingerbread Social on Saturday evening.
  • Donate – Your contribution ensures that a person experiencing homelessness – maybe a veteran struggling with PTSD, a domestic violence survivor, or a hard working young man – has access to the kind of intensive, wrap-around support they need to move from the streets into a new home.

 

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