Candidates discuss issues at forum

Wahkiakum County officials agreed Tuesday to explore the feasibility of constructing a public housing project.

Chris Holmes, county mental health program supervisor, presented the recommendation to the board of commissioners.

A group of citizens and county staffers have been meeting since early 2009 on housing issues. Survey data shows a declining trend in homelessness, he said, but the county probably won't hit its goal, which the commissioners set in 2006, of reducing the rate of homelessness by 50 percent in 2015.

In a written report, the housing group concluded "the most pressing need currently was to significantly increase the stock of affordable housing accessible to county residents with low incomes, and in particular those with disabilities."

No specific decisions need to be made now, Holmes said, and the board agreed by consensus that the housing group could explore the possiblity of finding a building site and grants to fund a project.

"Our homeless are folks who have lost their jobs, who are injured and can't work, who can't keep up with a payment or who have a large medical problem," he said. "They aren't people moving into the county because we have a good program. The people we're helping are local folks or people who have a connection to local folks."

The legislature passed the Ending Homelessness Bill in 2005, and the county started its program. In 2006, the county had 29 homeless people, and its 2015 target became 13. Homelessness spiked in 2007 to 38 people and has been declining since. In 2010, the county has 23 homeless people, 21 in shelters, and two unsheltered.

The Homelessness Bill allows counties to levy a fee on document recording to be used for programs for the homeless. To date, the county has collected $84,629.77, Holmes said.