Community

Everyone deserves decent and affordable housing.  Like other communities across the nation, some families and individuals in Clallam County have no home; some are chronically homeless. 

A point-in-time count of the homeless conducted in January 2007 revealed that 806 people were homeless in the county; 99 were unsheltered.

Many factors contribute to homelessness. 
Homeless individuals and families surveyed during the point-in-time count mentioned the following to be issues related to their homelessness:

• Insufficient medical, dental, and mental health care and substance abuse treatment
• Barriers to getting housing, such as felony records, problematic credit ratings, and poor rental histories 
• Alcohol and other drug use
• Lack of income, due to unemployment, underemployment, or lack of education and job skills  

To afford a two-bedroom rental at the fair market rate of $687/month, someone earning minimum wage would have to work 65 hours per week. Rents continue to rise locally; wages have not kept up with these increases.

In its 25-year history, Serenity House has continually responded to changing community needs by creating new programs and expanding existing services. In its first year, the agency served six homeless individuals at a time in an emergency shelter; Serenity House now provides housing and a multitude of services to 1400 or more individuals and families annually.  Serenity House is lead agency of a consortium of shelter providers, the Shelter Providers Network/Continuum of Care, and is the largest provider of emergency and transitional housing services in the county.

Serenity House has served as the lead agency developing the Clallam County Ten Year Plan to end homelessness.