Walla Walla County unveils draft 2026–2030 homeless housing plan, seeks monthlong public comment

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health on Sept. 16 presented a draft 2026–2030 homeless housing plan to the Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners and asked the board to allow a monthlong public comment period before the plan returns for consideration in November.

The department described the draft as a community plan aligned with Department of Commerce guidance and required state statute. "Our intention is to release this plan at the end of the month for public comment for a month-long public comment period, and then we'll bring it back to this group in November," said Becca Fica, senior homeless housing coordinator.

Why it matters: county and state data indicate homelessness and housing cost burden are substantial and growing locally. The plan sets five objectives—improving data and accountability, strengthening the homeless services workforce, preventing homelessness, prioritizing assistance for people with greatest barriers, and housing people in stable settings—intended to guide funding and system improvements over the next five years.

At the meeting, Department staff summarized methodology and current conditions. Using HUD’s one-night point-in-time (PIT) count, the county recorded 197 people experiencing homelessness on a January 2025 PIT night; Commerce’s Snapshot report (a month-long deduplicated compilation) counted 1,127 people in January 2025, and staff said adding people who are doubled-up or imminently at risk raises the estimate to about 1,613 individuals.…