2020: Pierce County’s Five-Year Plan to End Homelessness (2020-2025) — adopted √
2022: Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness — approved √
Goal 1: Create a Unified Homeless System
Homeless Services Assessment — ECONorthwest
Case Studies on other Unified Regional Approaches — Social Change Partners, LLC
2023 – 24: Unified Regional Approach momentum stalled due in part to political division
April 2024: Convening revived interest in a Unified Regional Approach — Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen + 13 jurisdictions, Tacoma News Tribune Write Up
October 2024 – December 2026: Unified Regional Approach to Homelessness in Pierce County
Scope, Design, & Implement a Unified Regional Approach to Homelessness
The structure of the Pierce County Unified Regional Approach project consists of five working groups whose aligned work will identify recommended activities to create a more coordinated approach to homeless response in Pierce County. All working groups are instrumental to the project’s success. Each working group has specific roles, and their composition differs based on those roles.
Bryan Yambe, Council Member Pierce County
Jani Hitchen, Council Chair Pierce County
Jeff Sproul, Council Member Orting
John West, Council Member Edgewood
Kim Roscoe, Mayor Fife
Mary Barber, Mayor Gig Harbor
Melanie Grassi, Council Member University Place
Mike Brandstetter, Council Member Lakewood
Nancy Backus, Mayor Auburn
Ned Witting, Council Member Puyallup
Ryan Mello, County Executive Pierce County
Sandesh Sadalge, Council Member Tacoma
Sarah Rumbaugh, Council Member Tacoma
Sylvia Miller, Vice Chairwoman Puyallup Tribe
Caleb Carbone, City of Tacoma, Homeless Strategy, Systems and Service Manager
Devon Isakson, Pierce County Human Services, Social Service Manager
Jennifer Hales, University Place, Public Safety Director
LeighBeth Merrick, Pierce County Executive’s Office, Strategic Advisor for Health and Human Servies
Mary Connolly, Pierce County Council, Policy Analyst
Shae Smiley, City of Gig Harbor, Health, Housing & Human Services Program Manager
Tiffany Speir, City of Lakewood, Planning Division Manager, ARPA Manager
Doug Newman, Fife, Assistant Police Chief,
Kent Hay, City of Auburn, Human Services Director,
Keri Waterland, Pierce County Council, Principal Policy Analyst
Laurel Turner – Executive Director St. Francis House in Puyallup, Continuum of Care (CoC), Pierce County Homeless Coalition
Ashley Howard – Puyallup Tribe of Indians-Wrap Around Department
Faatima Lawrence – Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Dionne Jacobson – St. Vincent de Paul of Tacoma, Pierce County
Gerrit Nyland – Volunteer with the Coalition to End Homelessness, Continuum of Care
Maya Ramos – Community Member
Bianca Shell – Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Amy Richardson – Pierce County Human Services Financial and Administration Officer
Nick Federici – Human Services and Tax Policy Lobbyist, Community Member
Stephanie Hanh – (on behalf of Rep. Adison Richards, WA State Legislature)
Scott Schubert – Executive Director, Metropolitan Development Council
Vicky McLaurin – City of Tacoma
Kelvin "KC" Cesar – United Way Pierce County/211
Councilmember Ned Witting – City of Puyallup
Steve Decker – Family Promise of Pierce County
Mayor/Representative Josh Penner – City of Orting
Dr. Alfonso Brown – Let's Get to Work
Annie Tustison – Community Health Care of Tacoma, Vice Chair of the Board
Annika Fraga – Associated Ministries or Tacoma-Pierce County
Carlos Garcia – Director of The REACH Center, and Vice Chair of the CoC Board
Christina Alexander – Certified Peer Specialist on the Anti-Homelessness Team for the City of Auburn
Cory Shears – City of University Place, Community Outreach Officer
Delci Whited – Key Peninsula Community Services Homeless Housing Program
Emil Floresca – Pierce County Human Services
Heather Knous-Westfall – Pierce County
Jason Scales – LASA (Living Access Support Alliance)
Javon Carlisle – City of Tacoma HEAL Team
Samie Iverson – Tacoma Public Library, Library Social Worker; CoC Governing Board Member
Sherry Bernklau – Interested Stakeholder
Tamiko Jackson – City of Fife Jobs Program
David Bond – Pierce County Code Enforcement
Josh Graham – Family Promise of Pierce County
John Barbee – Pierce County Human Services
Chief Rusty Wilder – Pierce County Sheriff's Office
Councilmember Rosie Ayala – Pierce County Council
Cynthia Stewart – Chair, Pierce County Continuum of Care
George Conzuelo – -Service Provider: Crisis Case Manager, Family Promise of Pierce County | Direct Care Staff, YMCA of Greater Seattle (Adult Transitional Living Program) Advocate: Youth Action Board Member, REACH CenterYouth
Jay Worley – CoC board member, Chair of the SSHA3P Advisory Board, Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness member, Washington Commerce Permanent Supportive Housing Advisory Committee, and Office of Community Voices Empowerment Advisory Committee
Katie Blinn – Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Mary Connolly – Pierce County Council Staff
Michelle Camacho Estrada – Domestic Violence Advocate with Our Sisters' House & Crystal Judson Family Justice Center stationed at the CCB
Rob Huff – Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness
Robert Sheetz – Pierce County Veterans Services Division Manager
Sally Perkins – Community Member
Sarah Bridgeford – Community Wellness Program Manager
Tamera Shovein – Community Member
Tim Fairley – Chair, NEW TACOMA neighborhood council dist. 2., CoC- Continuum Of Care Governance Board SSHA3P Executive Advisory Board- affordable housing developers, CERC- City of Tacoma special events funding and city of destiny awards,Board of Directors -Family Promise of Pierce County, PC inclement weather task force.
Valeri Almony – Pierce County Human Services
Outreach & Engagement
Elected officials, government staff, service providers, lived experience experts
Research & best practices
Regional unified approaches
Facilitation & consensus
Agreement on a more unified regional approach
Design & implementation support
Launching a more unified regional approach
Project Director
HR & A
HR & A
D-Fine Concepts
Asst. Project Manager
Project Associate
Governance Task Force
Project Associate
Finance & Operations Task Force
Operations
Associate