Reports and Plans

Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities (SPARC)

In December 2016, Tacoma/Pierce County joined seven other cities across the country in a national research project to address the intersection of racism and homelessness, led by the Center for Social Innovation (C4). One manifestation of the nation’s current racial realities is that people of color are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. Black people in particular are more likely to become homeless than people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Although Black people comprise 13% of the US population and 26% of those living in poverty, they account for more than 40% of the nation’s overall homeless population. This disparity suggests that poverty rates alone do not explain the over-representation of Black Americans in the homeless population.

The SPARC initiative focuses on using mixed methods research to identify how people are experiencing the accrual of systemic racism and to leverage that knowledge towards systems transformation. From December 5th to December 9th, 2016, SPARC collected qualitative and quantitative data on the racial dimensions of homelessness in Pierce County. Data collected included:

• HMIS data from fiscal years 2012 to 2016
• Tacoma Housing Authority Data from 2014, 2015, and 2016
• An online demographic survey of homeless service providers
• Qualitative research, including 24 individual interviews with people of color experiencing homelessness and 3 focus groups of providers, stakeholders, and consumers

Pierce County SPARC Report (February 2018)

National Phase I SPARC Report (March 2018)

Homeless Charrette, June 21-22, 2016

Pierce County sponsored a two-day community conversation to address chronic and unsheltered homelessness in Pierce County. Learn more about the Charrette:

• Intro Presentation (June 21,2016)
• Feedback Presentation (June 24, 2016)
• Charrette Final Report (August 31, 2016)