Poverty on the Peninsula

Poverty on the Peninsula data is usually dry and boring. Data on homeless individuals and households (people living together and sharing resources) from Pacific County is painful. The latest Point-in-Time Count (a once a year nationwide count of homeless people and families) reveals 108 individuals in 91 households. Additional data provided by DSHS counts 497 non-duplicated individuals. We know these adults, children, teens, and elders are living in dire situations that include trailers without water or power, cars, trucks, garden sheds, barns, forest shelters, and tents. The majority of them are invisible to people living, working, and visiting the Peninsula. We know nearly everyone is cold, damp, miserable, and worried about meeting their most basic needs.

PPR supports one shelter bed on the Peninsula. One place for an individual or a small family. One safe place for 1 out of 108 individuals at a minimum. The odds of anyone being fortunate enough to be placed in this single space are very low. The Peninsula is handicapped because affordable housing is limited, low-barrier housing options are scarce, rental assistance funding is inadequate, and there are no emergency or cold weather shelters. Three small families have stayed in this shelter space this year, and two of these families have moved into permanent and stable housing.

Washington is a wealthy state. The median income for Washington residents in 2021 was $80,219 annually. Sadly, that wealth does not stretch to many residents in Pacific County where the median income is $50,873, 36% lower than the state median income. 13.6% of the county population lives at or below the poverty level, 10.9% have no health insurance, 16.3% of people under the age of 65 are disabled. These dry data points contribute to people and families becoming homeless.