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a barrier so high “it’s not really an e ective emergency response.”

Executive Director of Development at SWSN Lynn Ann Huizingh has told the Je co Transcript in the past that the background checks are meant to protect volunteers and guests from people with “violent o enses against other person in the last year.”

“We do not want to enable, we want to empower,” Huizingh has said about their temperature cuto s, believing opening at any warmer temperatures would not “encourage people to pursue answers that would lead them o the street, and if they get too comfortable, they just don’t have any reason to try and pursue anything else.” e panel, including Lakewood Homeless Navigator Matt Wallington, Clancy, Barringer and Douglas, did agree that the dominant reason for homelessness is lack of a ordable housing, with Douglas touting the county’s 15-Year Housing Plan.

“What was really critical last year was when we started to look at some solutions. We really realized there was a need for more plans,” Douglas said. “It’s really meant to be a place where we pull together all the plans…and put it together in a document that can really help all our policy-leaders and community stakeholders look at a roadmap over the next 15 years.” e plan is still being developed with a panel of “community leaders,” though Douglas said that there were no people experiencing homelessness on that panel.

Ending with questions, Wallington responded to a question relating crime and mental health to homelessness by saying that only a third of those experiencing homelessness in Je co had any kind of mental illness, and any crimes committed were petty crimes like stealing clothes or food.

High police contact does not mean a higher crime rate either, he explained. ey are simply seen more. Barringer added that the “SafeLots” actually lowered crime in the area.