Our Story
- A message from founder Joe DeScala
It started with a simple observation several years ago when the number of the homeless in our community began to change.
I’ve been a long-time runner and was used to seeing unsheltered people as I navigated through our trails and public areas. Although I often saw people, it was generally just a few, and they never appeared to be setting up encampments. Sometime in 2017 a shift started; an increase in the number of homeless I saw on a regular basis, plus encampments and trash.
I’m not saying an increase wasn’t occurring prior to this time, just not encroaching into visible public spaces.
What troubled me the most however, was some of the behavior I witnessed.
There appeared to be an accompanying disregard for their surroundings, doing what they pleased no matter who or what it affected. Was it drugs? Mental health problems? Despair? Or perhaps a combination? At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure.
Fast forward a few years and homelessness took center stage in discussions as larger surrounding cities became overwhelmed.
I realized very quickly that my observations were an indication that our small community would soon find itself in the same situation.
I was born and raised in Port Angeles. I love it here and this is where my family has put down roots. I’ve also dedicated the last 20 years to helping people as a local faith leader, coach, volunteer, and small business owner.
My point is that I care deeply for people and my concern grew for the wellbeing of our community and those within it. I recognized that we weren’t prepared to care for, or properly deal with, the people living on our streets.
I can’t state enough that my heart is to help people and see them made whole, but it must be done in conjunction with maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our community.
In 2019 I began asking questions and learning as much as I could on the topic of homelessness, specifically in Port Angeles. I made appointments and had many conversations with city officials, law enforcement, those in social services, as well as volunteers involved in encampment cleanup.
As I began to identify people who were actively serving in this arena, I volunteered when I could to observe how they interacted with the homeless. As a result, I’ve fostered some incredible working relationships with people spanning several areas of this field.
The other outcome from this informational time was that I came to some conclusions on the matter myself. It became evident, that although we have people working hard to solve this problem in our city, there are some glaring blindspots.
Resources are spread thin and some of the most vital work to help mitigate the growing problem was being neglected. It is my opinion, as well as the team that I’ve assembled, that the cleanup effort must be fortified and city pride restored.
Our public spaces and parks cannot serve as a fallback option for those experiencing homelessness to find shelter. It’s important we implement plans for transitional housing, and these plans have a better chance of success when camping in public areas stops.
Of course I want those experiencing homelessness to gain housing now.
However, when you look at a holistic approach for a small community such as ours, you must think long-term and realize a problem that has been years in the making doesn’t get fixed immediately with a few tiny homes.
Exclusively prioritizing shelter while not setting boundaries on encampments in public spaces can do more harm than good in the long run.
It leaves our city vulnerable by not progressing our unsheltered on a path towards more appropriate locations. We are a town with an economy that depends on our environment being clean and we have an obligation to protect it.
The methods (or lack thereof) that have been used in the past have led to what we are seeing now; an increase in the homeless population and not a reduction.
Temporary shelters will serve as a vital part of the plan as long as they are done in conjunction with protective measures for our public spaces.
From my perspective, it is not callous to fully enforce “no camping” in public spaces, because Port Angeles currently has an overnight shelter that is available to those that want to use it. In other words, there is an option while we work on our plan to construct temporary housing.
The Touchstone Campus is at the heart of that plan.
It’s an innovative model that integrates transitional housing (up to one year), skills development, and community building.
Currently under construction, the campus will be home to a tiny home village with 11 units, a community commons building, and a local business site.
With years long housing waitlists, our services fill a gap in our local safety net by offering stabilizing transitional housing with integrated support and resources to help build a foundation towards self-sufficiency.
4PA is an organization thoroughly thought out and designed to address the needs of both our city and its most vulnerable occupants.
It’s not a quick fix but a commitment towards a sustainable solution.
I truly hope the mission is clear and the heartbeat is heard to help ALL the citizens of this beautiful place we call home.