HopeSource officer says homelessness a community issue

MOSES LAKE — HopeSource Chief Operating Officer John Raymond said the work his organization does helps people find stable housing. But ultimately, he said, the homelessness problem is about more than money.  

Raymond gave an overview of HopeSource’s programs in Grant County to the Moses Lake City Council on Nov. 26. During that discussion Mayor Dustin Swartz asked Raymond about the future. 

“The state has an agenda of ending homelessness,” Swartz said. “While admirable, there are some questions about the reality of that. Based on your experience, where do you see of this in 10 years? What do you think HopeSource’s role will be in all of this in 10 years?”  

Raymond said in his experience money is only part of the answer.  

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to end homelessness anytime soon,” he said. “I think it’s a multigenerational issue. I personally believe the fabric of our systems has been decimated. Broken families — children that grow up in those types of environments end up with more challenges and have a higher incidence of becoming homeless than others. 

“So, we need to go back to the basics and fix those things. No amount of money is going to fix the issues that we have. It’s the community that’s going to help solve these things. It’s not going to be federal or state dollars or organizations,” Raymond said.  

Within HopeSource’s mission, Raymond said the organization works to connect people with services that they need, including housing. HopeSource operates a temporary housing facility in Moses Lake and manages the Open Doors Sleep Center under a contract. 

Swartz asked about the biggest misconception about HopeSource’s role. Raymond said it was the idea that organizations like HopeSource do it for the money.  

“I think the biggest misconception (is) that we’re in an industry and we’re looking to perpetuate that industry by growing the numbers,” he said. “Which is the furthest thing from anybody’s heart to do. We strive to put ourselves out of a job. To make sure everyone is housed — properly — and achieve, hopefully, what we call functional zero, where the number of people falling into homelessness match the number of people that are being housed. That’s probably the best you’re going to be able to get.” 

More people using the service doesn’t translate into more money, he said. The state is facing a budget shortfall in 2025, and a new administration will take power in Washington, D.C. Raymond said he anticipates funding cuts as a result. 

In answer to a question from council member Deanna Martinez, Raymond said the sleep center is funded through a grant from the state awarded to Grant County. It opened in December 2020. 

“It was kind of a fast-tracked program to get people off the street and out of the parks and into a location where they could be safe and warm,” he said. 

Its 35 units are open to anyone, he said, and it’s designed to be an overnight shelter. It doesn’t offer direct access to social services, he said, but every morning there are people on site who can help its users find those services.  

Raymond said that as of October the sleep center had provided overnight shelter for 296 people in 2024, some of them multiple times, and 90% said they were from Moses Lake. Some of them no longer use the sleep center, and of those, 84% had moved into more stable housing, he said. 

Thirty families moved into the organization’s enhanced shelter, and from that to longer-term housing, he said. The enhanced shelter is a converted motel on South Pioneer Way purchased in 2021.  

“We have had 12 units in full operation for the past four years, with 25 beds being occupied a little over 80% of the time,” he said. “We have received some additional funds from Grant County, so by the end of this year we will have another eight units and another 14 to 15 beds up and operational, so we should be able to serve up to 40 folks a day in that facility.” 

In the last 12 months, the enhanced shelter served 181 people, making up 53 households, he said. Of those, 51 households found more permanent housing. 

Grant County lacks affordable housing, a problem it shares with the rest of the state, Raymond said.  

The definition of affordable housing varies by local median income. Council member Mark Fancher said that in his experience, it’s very difficult to build affordable housing in Moses Lake given the income levels. 

“The only way to get there is through some sort of subsidized housing, for all intents and purposes,” Fancher said. “Because you can’t get there from a private (development). If there’s no subsidy to the housing, you can’t reach that number, I don’t think anywhere in Grant County. Probably right now, with the cost of construction and everything else, probably anywhere in the state.” 

In answer to a question from council member Victor Lombardi, Raymond said substance abuse plays a critical role in chronic homelessness. In addition, it’s harder to address the problem in communities where there aren’t many jobs, he said. 

“There are so many different facets to the problem,” he said.  

HopeSource Enhanced Shelter 

12 units, eight additional units in operation by year’s end
In the last 12 months, 181 people served, comprising 53 families
51 families found more permanent housing 

Open Doors Sleep Center 

As of Oct. 31, 296 people served in 2024, some multiple times.  
90% say they are from Moses Lake