HomeMy WebLinkAbout22-028 Join House America and Respond with Urgency to the Homeless Crisis in our CommunityResolution 22-028
RESOLUTION NO. 22-028
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND,
WASHINGTON, TO JOIN HOUSE AMERICA AND RESPOND WITH URGENCY TO
THE HOMELESS CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, Port Townsend is committed to ensuring that all residents have a safe and
affordable place to live; and
WHEREAS, homelessness continues to impact hundreds of our residents, and a lack of
housing remains a barrier to the health, safety, well-being, employment, and education for these
individuals and families; and
WHEREAS, more than 580,000 people on a given night were experiencing
homelessness in America when the COVID-19 pandemic began and had to endure the COVID-
19 pandemic without the safety and protection of a stable home, while the homelessness crisis
has been further impacted and/or exacerbated during and due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, an effective approach to solving homelessness is the Housing First
approach, which entails identifying and assisting households experiencing homelessness to
obtain permanent housing quickly—without treatment or sobriety pre -conditions and with few to
no barriers—through housing counseling and navigation assistance, tailored levels of rental
assistance, and wrap-around supportive services, as needed; and
WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan provides communities with significant new
resources to address homelessness, including 70,000 emergency housing vouchers and $5 billion
in grants through the HOME Investment Partnerships program; and $350 billion in State and
Local Recovery Funds through the Department of the Treasury; and
WHEREAS, House America is a partnership between the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness (USICH), states, and communities to respond with urgency to address the crisis of
homelessness; and
WHEREAS, through House America, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge calls on state and
local leaders to set and achieve ambitious goals for re -housing households currently experiencing
homelessness and developing new supportive and affordable housing units; and
WHEREAS, Port Townsend is committed to working with Jefferson County through the
Housing Fund Board, HUD and USICH to use American Rescue Plan resources and other
federal, state, and local resources to make progress towards ending homelessness;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port
Townsend that the City of Port Townsend joins House America and pledges to respond with
urgency to homelessness in our community by setting and achieving ambitious rehousing and
housing creation goals.
Resolution 22-028
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a regular rnee,ling (hereof,
held this 6th day of June 2022.'°�
David J. Faber
Mayor
Attest: Approved as to form:
City Clerk 1leidi )rcenw.)od
City Attorney