Summary
Representatives from Youth Connection and New Horizon Communities urged the Shelton City Council during public comment to support local programs for people experiencing homelessness, and Youth Connection asked the city for a letter of support for an upcoming funding application.
Annie Havens, a Youth Connection staff member who said she works in Belfair and supports the Shawnee team, told the Shelton City Council on Aug. 19 that the nonprofit recently opened a three-unit youth transitional housing home and is remodeling a project to create 12 additional transitional units. Havens said the program operates a drop-in center and a planned coffee café, and she asked the council for a letter of support to accompany an application for additional funding. “To complete our housing project, we are applying for additional funding. A letter of support from the city is requested in that process,” she said. Colleen Carmichael, executive director of New Horizon Communities, urged the council to treat people experiencing homelessness as community members in need of services rather than as nuisances. Carmichael described economic and personal circumstances that can lead to homelessness and urged city leaders to use the tools of government to provide housing and services. Other members of the public raised neighborhood maintenance and code-enforcement concerns when giving public comment; no council action was taken on any request during the Aug. 19 meeting. Why it matters: Council support—formal or informal—can be part of grant application packages and public-facing partnerships. The council did not vote on a letter during the meeting; the request was presented during the public-comment period. Details and context: Havens gave program figures: the new housing opened with three units; the remodeling project will create 12 transitional units; she said the organization’s centers recorded 463 visitors in mid‑July and that in 2024 “86 percent of our participants successfully exited into permanent housing.” Carmichael spoke to broader public attitudes and urged policy action but did not present a formal proposal for the council to vote on. Next steps: The Youth Connection request for a letter of support remains a public-comment item; council members did not put a related item on the action agenda during the meeting.
