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Resident tells OSAC homelessness section is "meaningless," urges clearer accountability
Summary
Sally Perkins, a District 3 resident and homelessness outreach volunteer, told the committee the draft work plan's homelessness section is abstract and disconnected from people living long-term on the street, and criticized reliance on the point‑in‑time count.
During public comments March 20, Sally Perkins of District 3 told the Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee that the homelessness portion of the draft work plan lacked concrete, street‑level actions. Perkins, who said she works directly with people experiencing homelessness, told the committee the section was "absolutely meaningless" and urged staff to clarify execution and accountability lines from city leadership down through departments.
"The section on homelessness is absolutely meaningless. It's abstract. It's disconnected from the reality of people who are living long term on the street," Perkins said, adding that experience on the ground shows regional partners do not always deliver as expected and that the point‑in‑time count is not a reliable metric for assessing progress.
The city manager responded in the meeting by describing ongoing efforts to pursue regional coordination, an interlocal agreement (ILA) with Pierce County and one‑time funding to keep temporary shelters online, and he committed to continued refinement of the strategy. No formal policy action on homelessness was taken at the meeting; staff will incorporate feedback as they revise the draft for broader council review.
