East Duwamish Greenbelt Encampments Outreach Report Reporting as of June 24, 2016 Summary The outreach team has concluded five weeks of intensive outreach to the East Duwamish Greenbelt Encampments (EDGE). The outreach team is composed of 6 outreach staff in the field and additional mental health, case management, and support personnel who work with those who accept offers of housing, shelter, or services. The outreach team has decades of combined experience with homeless services and outreach and includes team members who have personally experienced homelessness and addiction. The team has been working with every individual, presenting meaningful and highly personalized offers of shelter and services. As of Friday, June 24, the outreach team had contacted and engaged 338 separate individuals, making extensive outreach efforts in both the early morning, mid-day, and late evening in order to maximize the opportunity to engage as many people as possible. A total of 64 individuals (roughly 1 in 5) have accepted offers of housing, shelter, services, and/or relocation assistance. The outreach team estimates that it has contacted or engaged with 99 percent of individuals living in the EDGE with multiple interactions. In some areas of the EDGE, there is very clear drug distribution and human trafficking activity. The outreach team made initial contact with those individuals but not attempted to engage them with offers of shelter or services. UGM estimates that approximately 75% or about 250 individuals have departed the I-5 Greenbelt in the last 5 weeks, 31 additional people have moved into the area or returned, leaving a total of 109 people remaining. The outreach team estimates that approximately 90 percent of the people living in the EDGE are struggling with substance abuse disorders. Those individuals that remain living in the EDGE are all prepared to move, and have asked for assistance with their belongings when the time comes. Though the team continues to have some success helping individuals into recovery, housing, or some other type of supportive care, those remaining appear to be waiting for an official move date. They are aware a move is coming, and are prepared to move. It should also be noted that there no longer appears to be any tension from those who remain, instead there seems to be a sense of acceptance. This is not to say that it is safe. This week one of the men was severely beaten and his tent and belongings were set on fire. 1 UGM and partner service providers are making available a variety of options for permanent and transitional housing, shelters beds, authorized encampment spaces, access to addiction treatment and recovery programs (with housing), access to mental health treatment, medical care, legal services, and other services. The full list of available resources is available below. The ethos of the outreach team is to find an individualized solution for every situation. For example, if an individual would be willing to accept entry into a recovery program but does not want to be separated from a pet, UGM and the City have partnered with the Seattle Animal Shelter to house pets for up to 90 days. And if an individual is willing to go to a shelter but needs a place to store extra personal items, the City’s FAS Department has arranged storage of personal belongings. Recap of Engagement Effort • • • • 338 people engaged personally by UGM Outreach Team 64 people accepting housing, shelter, services and/or relocation assistance 31 (estimate) of people who have moved into the area since May 23 108 (estimate) people still remaining in the EDGE area Housing, Shelter and Services Provided (pending in a few cases) • • • • • • • 44 received assistance in relocating (to authorized or other unauthorized encampments) 21 entered recovery programs, which include housing 4 received legal aid (immigration papers, IDs, other housing barriers) 3 accepted transitional housing/rapid rehousing 3 received assistance with alternative shelter arrangements 2 received assistance with immigration status issues Multiple accepted assistance with medical issues EDGE Demographics • Gender: 80% Male, 20% female • Race: 45% White, 45% Black, 10% Other (Samoan, Hispanic, etc.) Partner Organizations • Open Door Legal Services • Compass Housing • Peter’s Place (Compass) • MID (Mental Health) • Salvation Army • SUGM Men’s Recovery Program • KentHope • Operation Nightwatch • • • • • • 2 Hope Place (Women and Children’s Shelter) MLK Apartments (Family Housing) Extended Stay America LIHI (Othello Village) MORELove Project Seattle Animal Shelter Housing and Shelter Available • • • • 182 men’s shelter beds 52 women with children transitional housing slots 105 family shelter slots available 85 mixed gender shelter options (church basements) Services Available • • • • • • • • • • Substance Abuse Treatment (detox, medically assisted treatment, recovery programs with housing) Mental health treatment Veterans issues Legal services (criminal justice issues) Immigration assistance Medical and wound care Relocation assistance Temporary shelter for pets Temporary storage of personal possessions Survival resources (food, water, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, etc.) Barriers to Housing, Shelter, and Services The predominant issue affecting the ability of those living in the EDGE to accept offers of housing, shelter, and services is addiction. The outreach team estimates that 90 percent of individuals they have engaged with have substance abuse disorders. Heroin is the principal substance involved and discarded needles are prevalent throughout the EDGE. Some individuals also have criminal justice issues, including outstanding warrants and sex offender status. Several residents have pets, and the outreach team has offered to have those pets housed at the Seattle Animal Shelter if the owners will accept coming indoors. The team has also engaged multiple couples who are experiencing significant medical, legal, and substance abuse issues presented. Supporting couples staying together is a priority. UGM Notes from the Field There have been several situations where outside assistance from an individual’s family has been instrumental in helping people accept help. This has ranged from a family who paid for a plane ticket to get their family member back home, to one young man who has come to the EDGE several times to reach out to his own brother. He used to live in the EDGE and struggled with addiction, too, but after going through recovery and getting a job, he has worked with the outreach team to help his brother get out. This week his brother entered in a recovery program. 3 One of the most significant factors in helping individuals accept offers of service have been the trust that the outreach team has been building with each individual. One couple is in the final stages of accepting housing, and it has been partially due to how the team has cared for their pets. One of their cats had kittens and the team, after a long day of outreach, went out and purchased some Simlac and brought it back so the kittens could be fed and nourished. Two of the kittens have now been named after a couple of the outreach workers. A kitten named “Brian.” Not all the stories are simple. The outreach team had been working with one couple where the woman was wheelchair-bound and her husband was the sole provider. She had developed a severe eyeinfection that had already permanently blinded one eye, and was now spreading to her remaining eye. Within days her husband was required to go to jail for 90 days to serve for a past warrant. The woman did not want to leave because they have a dog. The solution requires working with the Seattle Animal Shelter to board their dog while the husband is away, and that then makes it possible for the woman to move into housing that provides medical respite and care. While the majority of the original population has either been helped or has moved on, those who remain are clearly more resistant and have less hope that their lives can change. It is clear that multiple contact and conversations with these individuals is helpful, and with most we have met with 5-10 times, and in some cases we have engaged well over ten times. One team member has commented: “The thing I am seeing more than anything is how much the folks trust us now, they know we are there because we care and it has allowed us to have difficult conversations about issues and to give hope. I have seen more smiles this week than I think I have seen in there since we started.” 4 Councilperson Sally Bagshaw talking with Michael about baseball cards. The relational work has spread down towards the Royal Brougham encampment area as well. This past week the outreach team was able to bring together multiple service providers (Salvation Army, Operation Nightwatch, MID Mental Health Outreach, etc.) who not only met with individuals, but were also able to host a BBQ, and provide additional resources. Several individuals from the EDGE came down to serve the meal and assist in picking up trash surrounding the encampment. During this event the outreach team provided mental health counseling, case management, and were able to move at least one more woman into housing. Royal Brougham encampment. 5 ike arts from one of the multiple "chop shops.? About 75% of the areas once filled with tents are now empty. Just visible in the distance is a young woman sorting through trash and selecting items of clothing. Part of the outreach team working with one of the female residents. 7 Brian and Angie, nick-named "Little Bit?. They are standing on level ground!)