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Pilot resource-navigator visits to parks lead to four placements for people camping in parks, officials say
Summary
City staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission that two outreach trips by county and fire-department resource navigators to Richland parks resulted in four people being placed into temporary housing or referred into the emergency-housing process.
Richland officials reported on March 27 that a pilot outreach program pairing county resource navigators with a fire-department navigator made progress connecting people who had been camping in parks to emergency housing and services.
Chris Waite, director of Parks and Public Facilities, told the Parks and Recreation Commission that the city ran two outreach trips with county navigators and the department—s resource navigator. "They were able to successfully make 4 placements for people in temporary housing or get them referred and into that process for emergency housing," Waite said.
Waite said the first outreach focused on areas around the community center and Howard Amon Park, and a second trip went into natural-area sites. The teams engaged several people camping in parks and made referrals or placements during these visits, which Waite described as an early positive sign for collaboration between county services and city departments.
The police department accompanied the outreach teams on both trips; Waite said the city appreciated partner support and hoped the pilot would continue to evolve to better serve people experiencing homelessness in the parks system.
Commissioners asked for ongoing reporting on the pilot; Waite said the city is tracking outcomes and is interested in seeing how the program can be expanded and refined.
