November is National Homelessness Awareness Month. In King County, homelessness is at a record high with more than 16,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given day.
Despite what long-held stigma has compelled some to believe, there are many reasons that people experience homelessness. Often, unhoused folks are living with mental or behavioral health challenges and dealing with harmful substance use resulting from intersecting root causes such as trauma, racism, poverty, lack of affordable housing, or inaccessibility of mental health services. We’ve been in this work for more than fifty years: we know that these experiences are the result of complex, interconnected factors.
Unhelpful systems that were never designed for healing continue to perpetuate trauma. Most of these systems take a punitive rather than compassionate approach to homelessness, mental health, and substance use, despite clear evidence that these approaches do not address the challenge. In fact, they often make it worse for individuals.
Safe housing is critical for effective recovery from behavioral health challenges. It’s also often the first step toward finding a job, reconnecting with loved ones, and establishing stability. Yet, for many of our participants, housing feels out of reach. It can be complex to navigate housing resources alone, especially when so many have had negative experiences trying to engage with support services.
Our REACH team at ETS prioritizes person-centered outreach that is built on fostering relationships. REACH staff are patient and consistent, centering autonomy—everyone has the right to determine their own goals and needs. With time, as a trusting relationship is built, clients request additional services that support long-term recovery. REACH staff then link people to services, advocate for resources for community health, and engage the greater community on why homelessness exists and how they can support people living outside.
In 2023 alone, ETS REACH staff served 7,573 people living outside, connected 175 people to permanent housing, and distributed 2,093 harm reduction supplies. This year, we expect to serve even more people and with care on their terms.
This National Homelessness Awareness Month, we ask you to consider supporting REACH by making a contribution or in-kind donation—learn more about how you can give here.
