Homelessness

As a team, everyone at Council for the Homeless (CFTH) strives to make sure that all of our clients feel empowered and included, that they matter as individuals. All of this hard work is one in many ways, including data collection and analysis. We also solicit direct feedback from clients on the quality of our work.

It is our responsibility as service providers to understand and remedy racial disparities that occur when people access emergency shelter and housing assistance in our community,” shares CFTH Executive Director, Kate Budd. “We do this by breaking down program data by race and ethnicity and analyzing the outcomes of each program,” she says.

Siobhana McEwen brings a powerful background to her new role as Equity and Advocacy Director for Council for the Homeless.

She grew up in a small Midwestern town, but served aboard one of the oldest Navy aircraft carriers to sail the seas. She has a Master’s degree, but learned much of what drives her through oral histories of community elders, neighbors, and loved ones. She is biracial but is often seen as white. She has been a journalist, teacher, and direct service provider…

The year 2020 was one like no other. Before COVID, I would never have believed someone if they told me restaurants and theaters were going to shut down, and everyone was going to be wearing masks. Or that people living on the streets across the nation were going to be housed in motels in order to have a home in which to “stay home and stay healthy.” And yet these things and many more surprising realities occurred.

People experiencing homelessness can access the latest Covid-19 Relief Federal Stimulus of $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per child. These direct payments to households are called economic impact payments, or EIPs. EIPs will not be taxable or be required to pay back.

The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined life for the nation, with masks and six feet of physical distancing having become the norm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a period of self-quarantine and isolation for those who have come into contact with COVID-19, either through testing positive themselves…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought immeasurable challenges to Clark County, WA leaving many community members unable to pay their rent. The Housing Hotline at the Housing Solutions Center receives numerous calls on a daily basis from families, seniors, couples, youth and single adults all seeking rent assistance.

Bob. That was what she preferred to be called. Amy was the person from before her head injury, before she fell down the stairs and lost part of her brain and skull. Bob couldn’t relate to that person anymore.
I first met Bob through the Reentry program at the jail. I was doing housing assessments with folks that were homeless prior to incarceration, seeing what they were eligible for, and trying…

As Election Day, November 3, 2020 fast approaches, it is important to know that both housed and unhoused Clark County residents can vote. People can register to vote and vote in person now through Election Day – November 3, 2020, at the Clark County Elections office located at 1408 Franklin Street, Vancouver