More money and building have not significantly reduced homelessness in Spokane or elsewhere.

• Spokane spends about $5.6 million in federal funds each year on homelessness.

Spokane Point-in-Time Count

The graph below shows that the number of people in Spokane who are experiencing homelessness has not changed significantly since the 10-year plan to end homelessness began in 2005.

Homelessness continues to rise nationwide, primarily in California

Seattle Under Siege – “The Seattle metro area spends more than $1 billion fighting homelessness every year. That’s nearly $100,000 for every homeless man, woman, and child in King County, yet the crisis seems only to have deepened.”

Seattle highway workers struggle to keep ahead of trash cleanup from homeless camps.

“Public and private challenge” leads to situation where housing King County bought as shelter sits vacant.

New homelessness approach in Olympia shows some promising results.

Tent City USA – a KGW8 investigation into the increase in tent camping in Portland.

San Francisco has spent millions on solving the homeless crisis, but it only seems to be getting worse.

The opinions expressed on sites linked here aren’t necessarily those of UGM, but we believe in the value of respectful dialog from multiple perspectives. We hope this compilation of resources is helpful as you think carefully and strategically about your response to homelessness.

Research

Updates on homelessness from the UGM Impact Blog

The #1 Principle in Helping the Poor from the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics

The Chalmers Center provides research into effective approaches to poverty

Every person experiencing homelessness has a story. Here is Kevin’s.  

How to understand Spokane’s Point-in-Time Count

News

Trump administration “homelessness czar” may move away from Housing First

Federally funded Spokane Housing Authority is working through a 3-year, 2,000-person backlog for rental assistance

Spokane changes how it gathers data on reasons for homelessness

Browne underpass attracts campers, trash, even though shelter space is available

Video

When Helping Hurts: Free video series from Chalmers Center

Poverty, Inc.: Internationally acclaimed documentary challenging our assumptions on poverty relief

Mia Birdsong: Empower the poor by acknowledging their skills and capabilities.

Seattle is Dying: “What is happening in King County and on the streets of Seattle isn’t about dollars. It’s about human lives.”

The World Homeless Day Summit offered community members and experts in the Inland Northwest a chance to gather and discuss solutions to issues surrounding homelessness and addiction. Click below to view the different speakers:
Dr. Mark Baird, PsyD., Whitworth University
Joe Ader, Family Promise
Rev. John Repsold, Mosaic Church
Phil Altmeyer, Union Gospel Mission
Tyson West, Adult & Teen Challenge
Ed and Gail Stevenson, Life Recovery Solutions

Books

Homelessness 101: UGM’s free e-guide

Love Your Neighbor: Restoring Dignity, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty by Kathryn Feliciano

Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

Real People.

• People who are homeless are people first.
• All people are created in the image of God with inherent value.
• God loves the poor and calls us to love them too.
• Loving people who are poor and homeless means wanting the best for them – not mere survival but meaningful, purposeful lives.
• We are all broken. We all need healing. We all need relationship.

Real Change.

• Effective compassion must recognize individuals as the main players in their own stories.
• Real care for people requires that we help them address the underlying causes of their homelessness. Providing food and shelter is a critical first step, not a long-term solution.
• Compassion without accountability creates dependency and enables self-destructive behaviors.
• Relationships are key to ending poverty.
• Compassion plus accountability (in relationship) leads to real change.
• We must be humble as we work with the poor, asking ourselves: What’s working? What’s not working?