Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force seeks volunteer with experience of homelessness

WENATCHEE — The Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force is seeking a community member with firsthand experience of homelessness to serve as an alternate representative on the panel that helps guide homeless housing services and funding in Chelan and Douglas counties.

Applicants must reside in Chelan or Douglas County and have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. People currently experiencing housing instability are also eligible. No special training or professional background is required.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.

“This is an opportunity to share your ideas and knowledge gained firsthand with the task force that guides funding decisions and implements our five-year homeless housing strategic plan,” said Jon Davies, Homeless Program supervisor at Chelan County.

The Lived Experience Alternate Representative attends task force meetings and votes when the primary Lived Experience Representative is unable to attend.

The unpaid volunteer position carries a two-year term beginning in January 2027 and ending in December 2028.

The task force meets quarterly on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., with occasional special meetings. The 2027 meeting schedule will be established in December.

Applicants are asked to describe how their personal experiences could help guide the task force's work and how they would represent others who have experienced homelessness.

Applications are available on the Chelan County website at www.co.chelan.wa.us or in person at 400 Douglas St., Suite 201, in Wenatchee.

Completed applications may be emailed to jon.davies@co.chelan.wa.us or delivered or mailed to Chelan County, Attn: Jon Davies, 400 Douglas St., Suite 201, Wenatchee, WA 98801.

Applications are also available in Spanish. Those needing assistance completing an application or requesting another format or language may contact Davies at 509-667-6685.

Interviews are expected to take place in early December, with a recommendation scheduled to be presented to the full task force Dec. 9. Final appointments are made by the Board of County Commissioners.

The Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force includes local elected officials, agency representatives, a representative with lived experience of homelessness and other community stakeholders.

The panel oversees implementation of the five-year homeless housing strategic plan for Chelan and Douglas counties and allocates homeless housing grant funding to local organizations.

Additional information, including meeting dates, is available at www.co.chelan.wa.us/board-of-commissioners/pages/housing.