I have worked in homeless services for over 10 years, through SideWalk, a non-profit in Olympia, and now through Olympia MAPs. When meeting people face to face who have become homeless, what you see and hear are people with many reasons for loosing housing (like loss of work, illness, disability, mental instability) but mostly it comes down to increased rent they are unable to pay. Many seniors who have lived in the same apartment for years with fixed incomes are forced out. Seeing people in their 70's and 80's living in cars or tents is heartbreaking. Until we see some solution to affordable housing, meeting the needs of people with limited income or who have lost their ability to make an income, I see no end in sight. This being said, I appreciate all the efforts the city had made to address this problem.
Please explain the inappropriate content below.
