Words by Tess Becker
Different cities around the United States have different attempts at addressing homelessness. Sometimes, that comes in the form of government programs, community outreach, or nonprofits – and this Seattle nonprofit is trying a new approach to helping homeless people.
The nonprofit, called JustCARE is attempting a new model for homelessness in which they go into homeless encampments and offer people a way out into provided housing.
They spend weeks in the camps figuring out people’s needs and then help them move into hotel shelters with the promise of safety and work.
The program has been consistently improving and finding more sustainable outcomes for the people they’re trying to help. They’ve even started getting state funding from Washington State to help them expand their reach from a few cities in and around Seattle to the entire county.
They wanted to find an entire solution to homelessness instead of just patching up small parts of the problem.
“You start to hold yourself accountable for the outcome in a very different way,” said Lisa Daugaard, the founder of the JustCARE program. “I'm in it with you, and you live with us now. And if we don't have a good answer, we have to find one. Because the ramifications of not finding one are unacceptable.”
