Clallam County has Increasing Demand for Housing Services for Homeless and Near-Homeless
Homelessness has declined by 13.5% in Clallam County this year, but shelter providers are concerned about the increasing demand for housing services. Kathy Wahto, executive director of Serenity House of Clallam County, told the Clallam County commissioners:
“I just can't underestimate how much demand has increased because of the prolonged impacts of the recession. The lack of jobs, lost jobs, even in the Sequim area, have really impacted people. Maybe we thought 2013 was as bad as it was going to get, but I think we're seeing 2014 is going to be a huge concern. And a lot of it is that bigger issue around the economy. Housing and services can only do so much if there aren't jobs for people and they can't build their household income.”
“I just can't underestimate how much demand has increased because of the prolonged impacts of the recession. The lack of jobs, lost jobs, even in the Sequim area, have really impacted people. Maybe we thought 2013 was as bad as it was going to get, but I think we're seeing 2014 is going to be a huge concern. And a lot of it is that bigger issue around the economy. Housing and services can only do so much if there aren't jobs for people and they can't build their household income.”
posted by Tom Harper at 1:02 AM
6 Comments:
But the number of millionaires and billionaires has increased during the same time period.
Doesn't that make it all okay?
Been times as an adult that I've lived under a tree, but I never did see myself as homeless, it's just that the stars were my roof.
There are jobs and work enough- for those willing and able to earn money. It's disappointing that the lazy, "gimme something for nothing whinner's, (who could be capable of "earning") look for and take the freebies, losing self-respect in the process, and taking away from those who are truly short of the ability to earn. A bum is not a poor person, a bum is a lazy person. Both are homeless, but the bum steals from the poor.
@5:46pm
Unfortunately, the facts do not support your statements: "There are jobs and work enough- for those willing and able to earn money."
The people that study these things have called the current economic situation a "Jobless recovery". Why?
Because those oh-so patriotic US corporations decided cheap labor was more important than supporting the country that supports them, and moved their manufacturing to places like China, Bangladesh, and India.
Then they bring those products to the US, where US consumers use US money to purchase them.
Then, these oh-so patriotic US corporations take the US consumers US money, and put it all in banks in countries like Switzerland, where they pay no taxes.
So, these oh-so patriotic corporations siphon off the "disposable income" of Americans, take it all out of circulation in the US economy, and deprive local, state and federal entities tax revenue to provide needed services.
Which is why there are more millionaires and billionaires than ever before, and the number of poor are increasing.
Do you know any of those "bums" in Port Angeles that lost their homes to foreclosure?
As a matter of FACT I do.
I lost my home.
But I still work too make a living and accept no handout without doing (not just offering) some thing in return.
How about you?
@ 9:28pm
The topic, as defined by your opening sentence, was: " "There are jobs and work enough- for those willing and able to earn money."
The FACTS are, that that statement is untrue.
Now, that you have been able to find paying work is a good thing for you. But that was not the topic you raised.
You will find a current news item of interest: there is a glut of cargo shipping capacity, and revenue within the shipping industry is down.
Why? Because people are buying less "stuff". Why? No money, because no jobs.
See how smart these corporate folks are? They move the jobs to other countries with cheap labor, leaving their home country with jobless people.
But, who could have foreseen that people without jobs can't buy their "stuff"?
And, those "cheap" laborers don't make enough to by the "stuff", either.
Smart, very smart.
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