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02-17-2015 Presentation by Members of FW Day2/17/2015 A Day Shelter for Federal Way A Presentation by Members of The Federal Way Day Shelter Coalition 1 2/17/2015 Who are we? St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church Church of the Good Shepherd Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church Reach Out Federal Way Community Caregiving Network Multi- Service Center Valley Cities Catholic Community Services City Vision 2 2/17/2015 Sound Alliance SO UN CiAILIANCE Organizing for the Common Good. Some of our members are a part of Sound Alliance, a community organizing network working for the common good in the Puget Sound region. 3 2/17/2015 What are we here to talk about? • We want to talk about our proposal to create a day shelter to serve homeless men, women, and children in Federal Way 4 2/17/2015 Homelessness in Federal Way • Churches shelter dozens of homeless men and women every night in Federal Way. • We know that on one night in January 2015 there were 105 unsheltered individuals and 37 homeless individuals in shelters. • There are very limited day services for homeless people in Federal Way. 5 2/17/2015 These are our neighbors! • According to the Federal Way Community Giving Caregiving Network, 73% of the individuals they serve have roots in Federal Way. • According to Catholic Community Services, among Federal Way's Reach Out program's clients, the highest number list Federal Way as their last permanent address. • The Federal Way Public School District currently serves 267 homeless students under the McKinney -Vento Act. According to the school district, many homeless families end up moving out of the school district because of lack of services for homeless individuals and families. 6 2/17/2015 Problems Caused by Lack of Day Services • No place to stay warm and rest during the day • No place to take a shower and do laundry • No post office box, phone, or computer access • No single location to make referral to other services • Negative impact on public libraries and downtown businesses 2/17/2015 What a Day Shelter Will Do • Help the most vulnerable members of our community live with Tess hardship and more dignity • Help them take steps toward self- sufficiency • Lessen negative impacts on the community 8 2/17/2015 What Have We Done So Far? • Thoroughly researched the space needs, staffing needs, and cost for a day shelter • Established partnerships with Catholic Community Services, Valley Cities, and the Multi- service Center • Met with public officials • We thank the mayor for his willingness to work in partnership with us on this issue. 9 2/17/2015 Our Vision for a Federal Way Day Shelter Services: • Showers • Laundry Facilities • P.O. Box • Phones and Computers • Kitchen to heat meals • Counseling and case management • Referrals to educational and job placement programs at the Multi - Service Center 10 2/17/2015 Our Vision for a Federal Way Day Shelter • Site: On or near Pacific Highway South, co- located with Valley Cities • Staffing: Through Catholic Community Services and /or Valley Cities • Funding: State, county, and local funding for capital and operational costs 11 2/17/2015 Our Specific Ask of You • Continue to work with us to identify a site and facilitate site approval • Continue to work with us to identify capital funding • Continue to work with us to identify operational funding 12 2/17/2015 But Doesn't This Require A Regional Solution? Yes... • We encourage you to work with other cities to identify joint funding and to encourage them to develop their own day shelters. • We are happy to be a partner with you in this work. 13 2/17/2015 But Does This Require A Regional Solution? And no... • The majority of homeless individuals in Federal Way have roots in Federal Way. • Transportation is already difficult enough in South King County. Asking homeless individuals to go someplace for services during the day is not a good solution. Exporting our homeless to Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, or Auburn is not a solution. 14 2/17/2015 But Does This Require A Regional Solution? • A regional solution can't be spelled N- I- M -B -Y. • We urge you, our elected leaders to work with us to create a day shelter in Federal Way regardless of what neighboring cities do. 13 2/17/2015 How Much Does Federal Way Spend on Human Services Per Capita from its General Fund Compared to Other Nearby Cities ?* Kent $7.01 Auburn $6.43 Federal Way $4.73 Des Moines $2.65 *Does not include CDBG funding. 2/17/2015 Our Hopes • We want Federal Way to be a great city! • But part of being a great city is taking care of the least fortunate and most vulnerable members of our community. 17