JRO provided strategy and facilitation support for the Capitol City’s recent community conversation regarding the causes, impacts and potential responses to increasing homelessness. The Homelessness Response Plan was guided by a diverse Task Force representing people with lived experience, housing advocates, local businesses, neighborhoods and others. The Task Force reviewed best practice case studies from other communities and held a series of in-person community conversations that served to educate the public on what steps were underway as well as to identify other targeted response strategies for the future. The resulting plan included guiding principles and a range of early and long-range actions to both alleviate the causes of homelessness and expedite reentry for impacted persons. The plan was approved by City Council and integrated into a broader One Olympia strategy plan for ongoing implementation.
