Simultaneously, Council has also observed that the City’s sensitive ecological areas are adversely impacted by secondary impacts of outdoor habitation. The City’s sensitive waterways, water treatment facilities, stormwater and wastewater facilities are particularly vulnerable to impacts of illegal dumping and improper disposal of human waste. Additionally, individuals living outdoors in greenways and wooded areas, who utilize fire as a source of heat, or to cook with, increase the potential for wildfire in those areas, particularly during our dry/summer months.

In an effort to reduce the aforementioned negative impacts of unsheltered homelessness, provide for greater safety, stability, and access to needed services for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and to remain in compliance with Martin v. Boise, this Council has approved the establishment of city-sponsored Safe Stay Communities in designated areas. These Communities are managed and supported by a contracted service provider who works to ensure safety and sanitation within and immediately surrounding the designated Community, assist Safe Stay Community residents with obtaining stability, accessing needed resources, and transitioning into a more permanent housing situation, and proactively engage with the surrounding neighborhood(s) to mitigate potential negative impacts to the neighborhood, facilitate neighborhood participation and volunteer opportunities within the designated Community, and encourage participation in neighborhood/community events, neighborhood association meetings, etc. amongst Safe Stay Community residents.

This field of work, both locally and across the country, has struggled to maintain the workforce capacity necessary to meet the growing need. Organizations experience high rates of turnover and consistent unfilled job openings, largely due to employee burnout and inadequate pay. It is very common for outreach workers, case managers, and Peers to need the very same resources or supports they assist their clients with accessing due to the continually rising cost of living.

Outsiders Inn is not only a direct service provider, but they’ve also been working to provide training and low-barrier re-entry employment opportunities to individuals with lived experiences with homelessness, mental health, substance use, justice involvement, and recovery, as well as increase our local workforce capacity in this field. The Washington State legislature, also recognizing this need, passed new legislation last year to create an actual profession of certified Peer Specialists vs. a simple certification, in an effort to address the workforce shortage and expand access to Peer services. A committee was created to make recommendations regarding implementation, and those recommendations include ensuring that organizations employing Peers are paying their Peers a living wage and creating a variety of certification types.

Additionally, while intended to provide greater opportunities for individuals with lived experience, some of the impacts of this legislation include doubling fees for licensing, adding a requirement for continuing education, which there will be fees for, and adding experience requirements of between 1000-1500 supervised hours for full certification. In preparation for the rollout of these requirements, Outsiders Inn has created a tiered pay structure for employees re-entering the workforce and building their skills and experience (hours they will eventually need for certification). Their new pay structure, included in the proposed contract amendment, is needed to attract and retain entry level employees, retain long-term/more experienced Peers that assist with training new staff, and come into alignment with what the new Peer requirements will be. Along with a more competitive and living wage, Outsiders Inn is looking to offer more meaningful healthcare/insurance benefits than they’ve previously been able to offer as a smaller, but growing, organization.

Other budget amendments, while not significantly changing the total amount requested, are the addition of a Client Housing Support Fund, and reallocation of unutilized or underutilized line items from the prior budget. For example, not knowing if contracted security would be needed, it has historically been budgeted for. After nearly two years of operating, Outsiders Inn is confident that contracted security is not needed. However, they have experienced challenges and delays in getting people into housing, or addressing some barriers to housing, due to the limited availability of funding for things like move-in costs/deposits, application fees, utility debt, etc. In the current housing market, having immediate access to those funds can be the difference between obtaining housing and remaining in shelter for a significantly longer period of time.

1. Outsiders Inn is a Peer-run organization, with supportive services delivered by trained individuals who also have lived experiences with homelessness, mental/behavioral health, and demonstrated recovery.
2. Outsiders Inn is an existing city contractor, and successfully operates The Outpost-Safe Stay Community, as well as shelter at St. Paul Lutheran Church and Mail Service for unhoused City residents and is contracted to operate the third Safe Stay Community when site construction is complete.
3. Safe Stay Communities serve as a temporary bridge while more permanent housing and shelter options are implemented; the first annual review of The Outpost shows that 41% of the residents served in that time period exited to permanent housing.
4. Because these sites are managed, our community has seen a decrease in solid waste, encampments in unsafe spaces, and negative environmental impacts.
5. Because these sites are supported, residents have greater access to services, increased stability, and more safe, healthy, and humane living conditions as they work to resolve their homelessness.
6. Outsiders Inn is successfully assisting individuals with barriers to re-enter the workforce and helping to expand our workforce capacity to meet the growing need.
7. The creation of a Client Housing Support Fund will assist with more and/or quicker exits to housing at these sites, which frees up shelter space for other individuals living without shelter.