To agree on and launch a more unified response to homelessness across Pierce County. 

A unified regional approach to substantially reduce homelessness so that it is rare, brief, and non-recurring. 

• Additional & Diverse Funding

• Clear, Accountable & Outcome-Driven

• Collaborative

• Data-Informed

• Efficient & Focused

• Flexible & Responsive

• Inclusive & Equitable

• Optimized Grant-Making Processes

• Shared Responsibility

• Transparency

• Urgency & Action

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. 

The Elected Leadership Group is made up of elected officials from various governments within Pierce County. They will determine the scope of the project by deciding which issues around homeless response they want to solve together.  This group will guide the project by establishing the project’s guiding principles and vision.  They will build consensus among themselves on recommendations from the Task Forces. And they will advocate for those recommendations in their jurisdictions so they can be implemented across the County.

The responsibilities of the Elected Leadership Group include active participation (no alternates are allowed), maintaining positive communication, representing their jurisdiction’s and their individual perspectives, acknowledging and addressing conflicts, serving as a conduit for information, leveraging resources and information, and advocating for recommendations in a collaborative manner.  The Elected Leadership Group will meet four times in the Design Phase and attend the Implementation Phase Kick-Off in March 2026.

The Staff Planning Group, made up of government staff from various Pierce County jurisdictions involved in homelessness response efforts, will support their elected officials in understanding and engaging in this work. The group will assist the consulting team by providing Task Force recruitment referrals, offering subject matter expertise, and reviewing Task Force recommendations for alignment and feasibility within their jurisdictions.

Responsibilities include active participation, positive communication, and actively providing necessary information and context to ensure elected officials can effectively engage.

The group will meet regularly during the Design Phase, their first meeting is on April 24, 2025, and attend the Implementation Phase Kick-Off in March 2026. Participants are encouraged to join a Task Force based on their expertise and interests.

The three project Task Forces will be made up of individuals with expertise in homelessness, including service providers, people with lived experience, and government staff who work in and around homelessness efforts including related systems (e.g., mental health, legal services, education).  The Task Forces will leverage their combined expertise, experience, compassion, data, and research. Their goal is to develop recommendations for a more unified regional response to homelessness across Pierce County, based on the scope and issues identified by the Elected Leadership Group.

A subset of the Task Forces (depending on availability and interest) will refine these recommendations based on feedback from the Elected Leadership Group and the Staff Planning Group. Task Force recruitment will take place throughout May. The groups will meet twice a month (or more) from January to September 2025, with their recommendations being reviewed by the Elected Leadership Group. Iteration of the recommendations will occur between November 2025 and January 2026.  Task Force members will be invited to the Implementation Phase Kick-Off in March 2026.

Task Force members whose expertise is most needed, those with lived expertise and the those providing services, will be compensated for their time.  (DRAFT Community Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more information).

During the Design Phase, the consulting team will conduct focus groups and 1:1 interviews with various stakeholders (see list of stakeholder groups at the bottom of the below graphic) to ensure the Task Forces and other project work groups have the information they need to do their work.  The consulting team will also engage with members of the Elected Leadership group between their meetings to support their ongoing engagement with the project.