County presents draft five‑year homeless housing plan to College Place council

Walla Walla County Department of Community Health staff on Tuesday presented a draft five‑year Homeless Housing Crisis Response System plan to the College Place City Council, outlining the county’s strategy to coordinate prevention, shelter and permanent housing interventions and inviting public input during a monthlong comment period in October.

County human services manager Sam Jackal and senior homeless housing coordinator Becca Finkas told the council the draft — which the county planned to post later that week — is intended to “guide decision making and foster accountability” across prevention, diversion, shelter and housing programs. “It’ll help us prioritize the use of funds, make sure that we’re aligning investments and strategies with community values and priorities,” Finkas said.

Why it matters: presenters said the plan is intended to move the county from managing homelessness toward reducing it, aligning local…