Homelessness in Kitsap County has increased over the years, whether it’s in the form of students, families, or just an individual on their own. Even if the situation of a family is being displaced because of loss of their home, there are many homeless shelters in Kitsap County. Some have no shelter, roaming parks and the elements, sharing with family members and friends, in which can be in certain situations unstable, or renting a motel room.

“…Our school district does some training on students who are facing homelessness so we have awareness that Kitsap County homelessness has been on the rise for over the decade and we are also informed and sometimes students self identify that they’re homeless and they’ll let us know, sometimes there’s forms that students or their families fell out.” Says Niki Orando, guidance counselor for A-E students at Central Kitsap High School.

     Homeless shelters have a limited amount of space, and only provide a temporary place to sleep. In some cases, especially in the winter, there aren’t enough beds in the shelters to take in the amount of homeless who need shelter that night. There were 205 unsheltered homeless people in Kitsap County in 2017, according to Kitsap Homeless documents. Part of this is because of the increase in rent costs. People aren’t able to sustain a stable place to live because of the unilinement of minimum wage to rent wages. The average unit rent increased $298 (33%) since the beginning of 2014. People who are working for minimum wage don’t have enough money to afford even a zero bedroom home. This in turn caused an increase in households living without shelter or places unfit for human inhabitant by 13%.

    As prices per night goes up in some motels, one may lose their job or not earn enough money from their job to pay for rent. Or if the landlord sells or buys the home one is currently living in can be a troubling situation too. Even some unstable mental health issues can play a role as to not being able to be a wage earner, as well as if a family member getting imprisoned while they’re the main earner. Out of these, it is still not the person’s desire to become homeless, or close to homeless.

    “ …The price of housing, whether it’s buying a home or rental cost there’s been a huge increase in the cost of living and so for some people if their income or salary hasn’t changed, it makes it very hard to meet the demands of the rental prices, because rental prices in Kitsap County have significantly gone up.” Says Orando.

    Citizens can help out the homeless by participating in kindness. Acts of kindness can be buying and giving out food, giving money, donating to or serving at homeless shelters, as in the Coffee Oasis,  giving support, etc. Teenagers and adults are suffering from homelessness the most. The amount of students who are homeless, or nearly in Kitsap has fluctuated over the years. In Central Kitsap High School , there have been cases of families and students who have lost their homes due to low payment, or family conflicts, and are currently couchsurfing. It is the act of staying at a friends or family member’s house for a limited amount of time. It is often contrasting with wages and family. Additionally, some students identify themselves as homeless, and reach out to the school for advice and help. Administrators receive training and lectures about how to handle tough situations with confidence and knowledge.

    “For other people, lending a helping hand can look very different, it can look like assisting financially of different charities so those resources can remain available for people in hard times, to coming beside someone who we might know doesn’t have shelter to provide that type of support, anytime there’s an opportunity to extend generosity.” Orando says.

     Organizations that help support homeless include the Coffee Oasis. This nonprofit organization provides shelter for homeless teens and young adults, and supports them in getting on the right track. They act as a coffee shop during the day, and open there beds to homeless between the hours 9pm-8am. The Coffee Oasis does have certain requirements to be granted access, including no active warrants, no sex offenders, and no recent violent offenses. They will admit intoxicated teens but only if they aren’t disturbing other guests. The Coffee Oasis has shops in both Poulsbo [780 NE Iverson, Poulsbo, WA 98370] and Bremerton [822 Burwell St, Bremerton, WA 98337].They focus on youth, specifically between the ages 16-20. It’s free to the homeless and have six beds.

   “…We forget that there’s multi dimensions happening…We tend to forget all the other parts and components and its multi layered. I think when people look down of it, it might be that they forget to remember the big picture.”

    People look down on homelessness because they don’t understand the person’s point of view. For persons on the streets, they have either lost their job and have little to no money, can’t pay rent and got kicked out, family issues, or unhealthy mental conditions, etc. Which leads them to being in shelters or roaming, as well as being counted as a lower minority. For the ones who have a home, they don’t want to end up like them, as in being seen as less than, or are just seeing from their own point of view, and not the minorities.

     Homeless people may have underlying issues that caused them to wind up in this situation. Problems such as substance addiction, or mental health issues may have contributed to a person’s loss of home. In this case it is up to them to seek help, and change their path. There are nonprofit organizations meant to help people with substance abuse/addiction, like Alcoholics Anonymous. There are AA groups that meet in different parts of the county, including 2 in Bremerton. Substance abuse is not uncommon amongst homeless people, and unintentional overdose does occur. Overdose is just one of the many health issues homeless people face.

     Homeless people face many health issues, and often don’t have the financial means to afford treatment. Hunger and nutrition, infectious diseases, dental issues, and respiratory illness are just a few. Compromised immune systems leave them susceptible to diseases like Hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Overcrowding in some homeless shelters can lead to the spread of these. Poor hygiene only furthers health issues amongst homeless people, and can prompt mental health issues that are common in those without shelter.