Submitted by Carol Colleran.
Pierce County has many homeless neighbors as well as a cost crisis: rentals and houses are expensive! The Pierce County Council is considering a Housing Action Plan (2022-162) that would address many of the housing issues, from shelter and services to streamlining new affordable housing building projects that would make both for-profit and non-profit organizations more likely to build housing throughout Pierce County.
Addressing housing and homelessness will mean a win/win for all of Pierce County as shelters, services, and low-income housing will be increased.
Finally, after several failed attempts at solutions over the past decades, the Pierce County Council is proposing and funding (via a sales tax that would add one penny to a $10 non-food purchase) this Action Plan. Let’s all encourage the Council to support and pass this Plan. This plan is on the Council’s December 13th (3 pm) meeting agenda.
I think there needs to be more help with people who are struggling to keep their homes due to the increase in rents as well as the homeless.
It’s not only that houses and apartments here in Pierce county are unreasonably over priced or that you have to come up with first, last and deposit to move in, but many people struggling to make it don’t have a 700 credit score to even be approved to move in to a place. Why are we using credit scores to place people in homes? Many people lost everything during Covid or maxed out credit cards or got loans just to meet their basic needs. Having to pass a credit check is keeping people homeless. Even people who have a section 8 voucher or people in programs like rapid rehousing are still homeless because they don’t qualify for anything because of their credit. Laws need to change and the power needs to go back to the hands of the people. Not big corporations. Legislators!!! Put a cap on rent in Pierce County, no credit checks for renting, report rent to credit bureaus, make it easier for normal people to live!!!
Hi Regina – we are organizing at the state level for caps to rent increases. Follow Tacoma Tenants Union to stay informed of opportunities to provide support!
What we already get money for housing, the problem is u keep allowing people to steal from these programs. Remember. So no we should not have to fix your bad judgement, even if it’s only a penny on a dollar. Mayor why do u think that we should pay for the bad call of putting that lady in control of housing that stole all that housing money. Sounds like alot people don’t do there job an no one checks so that’s a hard no for me
Your solution to expensive housing is to increase the cost of building homes?
Yeah, or increase resident’s taxes.
I see this “Action Plan” as a concept in motion, and a good beginning. Drawn in 2021, data suggests a vulnerable population three times larger than initially shown – https://www.piercecountywa.gov/7405/Homelessness-in-Pierce-County. The Plan’s “Action” must recognize that a “solution” can only manage “the problem” as a regional social phenomenon to be “solved” one individual or family at a time. It is encouraging to see an extensive record of agency engagement and particularly so to note expansion to include school districts and VA service agencies.
While funding anticipates broad participation to include federal money, it would seem obvious that county participation is critical, and the proposed enabling tax a rational means and basis for progress. Naysayers should be thankful for their ability to contribute and just a little grateful for their freedom from need. Happy Christmas.
I no longer have all the information but if one looks at the whole picture it is less expensive for cites and tax payers to house the homeless than to pay for all the emergency services they require. When you include the cost incurred by the public due to crime and vandalism you get a clearer picture. If you add in jail expenses, extra police, and the extra aforementioned emergency services personnel, the cost escalates further.
Another issue is that as the problem escalates property values will go down and businesses will move to safer areas. This will decrease city tax revenue and only adds to the deterioration of the area as a whole. Homeless camps present a huge health hazard and a dangerous environment to their occupants, and tax paying neighbors. They are costing taxpayers millions in clean up expenses, and most of the occupants simply move to another location, so that money is wasted, rather than invested in solutions.
In finding and implementing viable solutions for all, we and the city, actually save money and create a more vibrant, safe, and livable city.
Hopefully the powers that be will realize these facts before things get much worse and more difficult and expensive to address.
Yes!! You are right!! Why do we have all these short term programs that have proven not to do anything!!? House the people. These people were once our neighbors or class mates. Sad. I’m glad to have read you comment. Makes me feel hope 💜
Every single time you vote yes on a levy to raise taxes, you are voting yes to raise your rent. Period. No politics involved, no democrat , no republican, you’re just straight up voting yes to raising your rent. Every, single, time you do it. Period.
Think about it next time you vote yes. be completely honest with yourself and say, I’m voting yes but it’s worth it to me that this is going to raise my rent, but it’s worth it. Then don’t complain, because this is a simple cause and effect, and YOU, are the cause.
The far left regime running Canada these days is offering euthanization as a solution.
The same gaggle says the citizenry cannot be trusted with guns for self protection.