Island County presents five-year homeless housing plan; Oak Harbor council presses for local shelter capacity

Emily Wildman, Island County Human Services housing program manager, presented the county's five-year homeless housing plan to the Oak Harbor City Council on March 10. Wildman said the plan, required by the Washington State Legislature, combines reporting on current services and fund sources with prioritized, achievable action steps the county and partner jurisdictions can implement within existing budgets.

The plan lists five objectives: (1) promote an equitable crisis response and re-engage coordinated-entry oversight; (2) strengthen the homeless-service provider workforce with training and wage advocacy; (3) focus on prevention to avoid homelessness; (4) prioritize assistance by greatest barriers and risk of harm; and (5) seek stable, needs-appropriate housing for everyone, including emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing.

Wildman described outreach the county used to build the plan, including inviting city staff, nonprofits, food banks and a lived-experience survey, and said the task force aimed for realistic goals rather than expensive systemwide changes. She noted a major service gap in Oak Harbor: "Currently, there is no place for an unhoused male to go in Oak Harbor overnight," and said the county and cities want to prioritize land and funding for potential shelter sites.

Council members sought data clarifications. Council Member Stucky contrasted a point-in-time count of about 173 people with a larger annual or system-derived number of about 1,229 and asked which figure was a better planning metric; Wildman said the 1,229 figure (drawn from annual administrative data such as HMIS, medical and benefits records) represents instability over a year and is a more comprehensive picture than a single-night count. Council members also asked about low-barrier shelter practices; Wildman said most new projects aim to be "low barrier" (not "no barrier") and explained policies about on-site behavior, registered-offender exclusions and time-limited stays tied to engagement.

Wildman said the plan stresses stronger coordination with Oak Harbor and other municipalities, more braided funding between county and cities, expanded prevention and flexible funding, and support for agencies seeking grants and capacity-building. She said an Island County public hearing on the plan is scheduled for April 14 before the Board of County Commissioners.

Ending: Council members expressed broad support for improving coordination and noted the work is part of longer-term efforts tied to the housing action plan and comp-plan updates. Wildman asked for continued engagement and noted many of the solutions require collaborating across jurisdictions and with local nonprofits.