SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. January 22, 2025 – Beginning this January, San Juan County Health & Community Services will convene a homeless housing task force to update the County’s Five-Year Homeless Plan. Initially adopted in 2019, the updated plan will follow Washington State Department of Commerce guidelines for 2025-2030. The County plans to adopt this updated plan by December 2025.
Homelessness affects people across Washington State and in San Juan County. In 2024, 59 individuals in San Juan County were counted as homeless as part of the County’s annual Point in Time Count. Another 75 individuals living in the County were identified as being at-risk of homelessness as part of that count.
The Five-Year Homeless Plan provides goals, strategies, activities, performance measures and timelines to eliminate homelessness within the entire county. Washington state law requires that each local homeless housing task force develop and recommend a five-year local homeless housing plan for its area to its local government legislative authority. For San Juan County, the homeless housing task force will update its plan and recommend it be adopted by County Council. The local plan must be consistent with guidance issued by the Department of Commerce.
If you are interested in joining this task force, there is still time for community members to join! Local individuals or stakeholder organizations with relevant experience are encouraged to provide feedback and insight on the plan update. If you or your organization is interested, please contact Ryan Page at ryanp@sanjuancountywa.gov or 360-370-0590 for more information.
Relevant URLs:
Media Contact:
Ryan Page, Housing Program Coordinator, ryanp@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-370-0590
About San Juan County’s Department of Health and Community Services
San Juan County’s Department of Health and Community Services is responsible for community and environmental health, mental health and substance abuse programs, senior services, affordable housing projects, and more. The department has staff and offices on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Health and Community Services, visit www.sanjuanco.com/1777/Health-Community-Services.