In November 2015, Mayor Nancy Backus convened a citizen task force to address homelessness in Auburn. This task force was comprised of community leaders, service providers, citizens, faith community, police and fire, school district, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, business owners and key city staff. This page provides information regarding the committee's progress, discussions and meetings.
For additional information please contact Kent Hay, Directory of Anti-Homelessness, at [email protected] or 253-294-6429.
Latest News
On April 12, 2021, City of Auburn staff and community members presented information to the Auburn City Council on the current state of homelessness in Auburn. The report can be seen here in its entirety.
Meeting Materials:
Task Force Outcome (updated June 2016)
The Task Force completed their work in April 2016 and presented a suggested action plan to the City Council on May 23, 2016.
View May 23 Council Study Session | Task Force Presentation to City Council (PDF) | Proposed Action Plan (PDF)
2016 Homelessness in Auburn
- According to the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness One Night County Data there are approximately 352 homeless men, women and children in Auburn.
- Approximately 40% of Auburn's homeless population is unsheltered.
- Auburn's homeless population has increased over 20% since 2014.
Task Force Mission Statement
The Task Force aimed to better understand the scope and causes of homelessness in Auburn, the systems in place to address homelessness, and considered the range of concerns and ideas identified by the community. The Task force identified and recommended a set of short-term and longer-term actions that our community can undertake to address these issues.
Task Force Members
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Denise Daniels (Co-Chair), Family Engagement Coordinator
Auburn School District
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Carla Hopkins (Co-Chair), Library Cluster Manager
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Auburn Library
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Kathie Blaschke, Auburn Resident
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Cara Brinkley, PATH Outreach Case Manager
Sound Mental Health
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Debbie Christian, Executive Director
Auburn Food Bank
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Sarah Christensen, Director of Residential and Homeless Services
Auburn Youth Resources
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Diane Cimino-Kelly, Director, South King County Personal Health Partner Program
MultiCare Emergency Department
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Alexander Foster, Program Therapist
Valley Cities
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Virginia Gannon, Executive Director
Christ Community Clinic
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Dennis Grad, McKinney Vento Liaison
Auburn School District
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Jeremy James, Council Member
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
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Laura Kniss, Church Program Volunteer
Messiah Lutheran
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Ted Leonard, Auburn Resident
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Leticia Figueroa, Auburn Resident
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Ron Roberts, Owner
Gosanko Chocolate
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Alexis Schleiss, Behavioral Health Care Coordinator
HealthPoint
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Kacie Bray, President & CEO
Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce
Meetings
Meetings were open to the public. Those attending meetings were offered opportunity to provide comments on comment cards if desired.
- Meeting 1 - November 17, 2015, 5:00 PM, Auburn Senior Activity Center
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 2 - December 17, 2015, 5:00 PM, Auburn Senior Activity Center
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 3 - January 7, 2016, 5:00 PM, Auburn Senior Activity Center
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 4 - February 4, 2016, 5:00 PM, Auburn City Hall Council Chambers
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 5 - March 3, 2016, 5:00 PM, Auburn City Hall Council Chambers
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 6 - March 24, 2016, 5:00 PM, Auburn City Hall Council Chambers
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF), and Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Meeting 7 - April 15, 2016, 5:00 PM, Auburn City Hall Council Chambers
Agenda (PDF), Meeting Materials (PDF)
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