Pasco County rolls out new homelessness initiative emphasizing services, partnerships

Pasco County has designated homelessness a county priority and created a central administrator role to coordinate rehousing and supportive services, James Walters, the countys administrator for homeless programs, said on the Pasco podcast.

Walters said the Board of County Commissionersdecision to elevate homelessness drove the new post and a shift toward an integrated, county-led response. "One of the ideas that is so important is that it takes all of us," Walters said, describing an approach that brings law enforcement, schools, nonprofits and other partners to the table rather than prescribing top-down solutions.

Why it matters: Walters and Community Development Director Mary Theriaung told the podcast that boosting housing capacity alone will not solve homelessness; rehousing must be paired with services such as mental health care, financial-literacy supports and substance-use services to reduce repeat episodes of homelessness.

Walters described outreach tactics influenced by his law enforcement background that prioritize rapport building over enforcement and seek to create positive interactions with youth and people experiencing homelessness. "We want them to take advantage of the services that are offered," he said, noting the need to break down silos between providers and match residents to available resources across Pascos east and west sides.

The county has recently rolled out grants intended to expand resources and educate the community about services. Walters said the effort aims to identify practices that have worked elsewhere and adapt them locally: "Five years from now, we'll be the place that people come to say, what did Pasco County do?"

The podcast did not record any formal county vote on the initiative during the episode. Walters and Theriaung emphasized next steps of continuing partner coordination, deploying grants and public education so residents and providers know what assistance is available.