• Despite City’s funding of housing development, development incentives, eviction prevention, diversion, rental assistance, shelter, and other supportive services, chronic unsheltered homelessness continues to drastically and rapidly increase at a rate that has become unmanageable utilizing standard City processes and existing tools.
• Number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and chronic unsheltered homelessness increased significantly (54% and 78% respectively) since 2022.
• Our city hosts 78% of the total Clark County unsheltered population, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
• Recent behavioral shifts, including heightened violence and drug-related incidents, pose substantial risks to public safety and health of housed and unhoused residents.
• The increases in population and behavioral challenges are placing significant strain on City resources, particularly emergency services.
• Staff is recommending Council adopt the resolution ratifying Emergency Order 2023-01, Emergency Order 2023-02, and Emergency Order 2023-03, enabling staff to implement proposed strategies for addressing the critical health and safety issues associated with the emergency.

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The official Clark County Point in Time Count found 1300 individuals countywide experiencing homelessness (sheltered and unsheltered) in January 2023 (9% increase from 2022). Data points of note from that count:

• 54% increase in chronically homeless from 2022 (234% increase since 2015)
• 672 unsheltered (226% increase since 2015)
• 78% increase in chronic unsheltered from 2022 (up 238% from 2015)
  
  

For a 10-week period this summer, HART conducted our own unsheltered count within city limits. Of the 451 individuals counted by HART, 346 agreed to be surveyed. Of the 346 surveyed:

• 48% (167) became homeless outside of the City of Vancouver
  
  • 66% (110) of those not from Vancouver have been here for 1 year or less, and
  • 17% (28) had been here no more than 30 days at the time they were counted.
    
    

Point in Time Counts are largely understood to be an undercount, just as HART’s count certainly did not capture 100% of the individuals living outside. While not a perfect comparison, when adding the 451 individuals counted by HART and the average of 70 individuals who reside at Safe Park at any given time, at least 521 individuals were living unsheltered within the City of Vancouver in June 2023. Based on data analysis of the Point in Time Count, HART’s unsheltered count/survey, and the CFTH Annual System Data Report, it appears as though the City of Vancouver is hosting around 78% of the entire Clark County unsheltered population, while only 46% of individuals who experienced homelessness in Clark County in 2022 became homeless in Vancouver.

Since June, we’ve seen more new faces and new/different behaviors than what have historically been observed/experienced in Vancouver camps. Based on conversations with many individuals from other areas/communities, the migration to Vancouver seems to largely stem from policy changes and increased enforcement in other jurisdictions. Many individuals from other parts of Clark County report being “run out of town” by law enforcement and Public Works/Parks employees from other jurisdictions within Clark County; we’ve also heard similar from folks who have come from other parts of Washington. Individuals who have come from Portland/Oregon frequently report they’re looking to be left alone, or that they left to avoid being “forced into a giant camp” in Portland. Based on the above data, what we are observing, and what unsheltered residents are reporting, Vancouver will continue to see an increase in migration of unsheltered individuals.

In addition to population changes, there’s been a significant shift in individual behavior as well as the overall culture in camps over the last few years, with the severity in problematic behavior, and impacts of that behavior, increasing more in the last 6-9 months. HART’s observation is the vast majority of individuals living outdoors are experiencing addiction, and the majority of those are using Fentanyl, including folks who have not historically been opioid users. That observation was confirmed by the majority of individuals surveyed in HART’s unsheltered count.

The impacts of the pandemic, passing of the Blake Decision, and shift to much more widespread Fentanyl usage seem to have created a perfect storm, which has effectively changed the landscape regarding unsheltered homelessness – what it looks like, what it responds to, and how it impacts the entire community. The changes in behavior include:

• Increases in violence and/or weapons
• Camps being utilized as cover for drug dealing and other criminal activity by individuals not actually experiencing homelessness
• Increases in Fentanyl use, overdoses, and deaths due to overdose or other substance use
• Many individuals refusing, or not prioritizing, connection to services
  
  

Recommended strategies for addressing the population growth and changes in conditions related to unsheltered homelessness are as follows:

• Utilize Declaration of Emergency to enable City to rapidly respond to the existing crisis and implement the following strategies by lifting procurement restrictions and providing additional tools to address significant health and safety issues in encampments.
• Update post-pandemic law enforcement policies/procedures and enhanced enforcement collaboration with HART
• Patrol to assist HART and NPOs with citations into Community Court
• Propose ordinance amendments that will (1) provide greater balance in access to public spaces intended for public use, particularly greenways/open spaces, and (2) establish clearer guidelines for outdoor habitation and camping, ensuring greater clarity for both those experiencing homelessness and law enforcement.
• Establish corridor-specific community response teams, in Fourth Plain and downtown corridors, providing both behavioral health response and community engagement and activation to reduce the significant negative impacts related to unsheltered homelessness in those areas.
• Establish congregate bridge shelter to accommodate ~150 individuals, providing Medication Assisted Treatment services on-site, as well as respite beds in partnership with hospital(s).