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People Experiencing Homelessness : Home

Resources to support homeless community members in the Skagit Valley College Service District.

What is this Guide for?

A homeless student opens their computer on the street and sees a classroom

This guide assists those seeking to understand homelessness as a regional and social equity issue. It also offers resources for being an advocate for people experience housing insecurity and to help connect people in the Skagit Valley College service district with resources and services.

Here you will find:

Terminology

Homeless

  • Chronic: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence for a year or more. About 24% of the homeless population.
  • Episodic: individuals who are currently homeless and have experienced at least 3 periods of homelessness in the previous year. 
  • Transitional: individuals who enter a shelter or temproary housing system for only one brief stay. The most common type of homelessness.
  • Hidden: individuals temporarily living with others without a guarantee of of long-term stay. Often unreported. 

Houseless

  • An alternative term to homeless, often employed when trying to convey a sense of belonging to one's community despite not having a home or permanent shelter. While not a legally formalized term, it can be used to talk more specifically about a person's situation and is often considered a more dignified, less stigmatized expression in certain contexts.

Unsheltered

  • Not sheltered or protected.

Homelessness FAQ

National Data on Homelessness

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