Loren Sherman has been homeless for the last six years and in January he will be 55 years old.

“It’s not easy,” he said of living on the streets of Renton.

He actually calls a makeshift space, in an urban wooded area not far from downtown, home.

Sherman has become so adept at living in the woods that he’s taught other homeless people how to manage that way. He’s known as “Pops” on the street.

“Doesn’t mean I want to do it,” he said of his living situation.

But, Sherman doesn’t want to be restricted by the rules and regulations of living in a shelter or a group home.

He is one of the many chronically homeless and mentally ill people living in the city.

The last King County One Night Count, done earlier in 2011, found that there were 71 homeless people in selected areas of Renton. The 2010 count found almost 9,000 homeless people living on the streets, in emergency shelters, or transitional housing in the county at the time the count was taken.

Officials warn that increased cuts to social services at all levels of government will have a huge impact on the homeless, low-income and mentally ill.

In Renton, outreach efforts are trying to keep up with the need to provide services to the recently displaced and chronically homeless.

Sherman finds comfort and support from Inbal Blitstein, a mental health outreach specialist with Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation.

“We sit down and I can tell her anything I want,” Sherman said. “I don’t use that as a license to just run off at the mouth, though. I talk to her about the serious stuff that I can’t talk to anybody else about.”

That involves discussions about his depression. He talks about his thoughts that he calls “jumbled” and about fears that keep him from being productive.

The two met at a Renton Community Supper held at the Salvation Army downtown. The supper is one of the many places Blitstein meets her clients, including parks, libraries, shelters and even the woods.

Blitstein can be seen all over Renton earnestly engaged with the city’s homeless and also mentally ill.

She and Jesus Nacanaynay cover the King County region as mental health outreach specialists for Valley Cities through its Bridges Program.

The program is free and open to all who are homeless and have mental health issues.

“I have learned a lot about the strength and power of homeless folks,” Blitstein said. “They’re very resourceful, resilient, creative, intelligent.”

She’s been doing social work for 20 years and with the Bridges Program since its inception two and a half years ago.

Blitstein’s value system and spirituality motivates her to help her clients day after day, she said.

She is impressed by the level of sharing and generosity she sees among homeless people. Blitstein finds that they support each other through an informal community.

She’s also been impressed by the level of support from congregations and from King County voters who approved the Veterans and Human Services Levy, part of which helps individuals and families with housing and supportive services, for example.

But, the challenge to reach homeless and mentally ill individuals is still tough.

The mandate for Blitstein and Nacanaynay is to engage 200 unique individuals over the course of a year in the county.

Both outreach specialists might have 20 to 40 clients that they’re working with at a time.

“To measure success for us right now is just being able to get in front of the people that we want to serve,” said Bob Viola, clinical manager of homeless family services for Valley Cities.

Making contact, engagement and gaining people’s trust is key and speaks to the whole philosophy of outreach, he said.

The most exciting moment of success for Blitstein is when a client calls her for services.

“That to me is great success and also when clients refer other clients,” she said.

Even though Viola calls the Bridges Program still in its infancy, it has been successful with other organizations and providers becoming aware of the program and making referrals.

Valley Cities gets referrals from other healthcare workers, providers, public defenders and King County jail liaisons.

Karen Bergsvik cites both Valley Cities and Sound Mental Health’s outreach services in Renton for the work they do for the homeless and mentally ill. She is the human services manager for the City of Renton.

Bergsvik identifies different programs at work in the city to combat homelessness.

In addition to the outreach services provided by the two organizations, Renton Community Supper feeds the homeless during the week at the Renton Salvation Army.

A mobile medical van, which comes to the supper, has served more than 44 people with mental and physical health problems since January, Bergsvik said.

The city funds the ARISE men’s shelter program and case management through Catholic Community Services.

The city also funds transitional housing through the YWCA and Multi-Service Center as well as homelessness prevention.

Bergsvik thinks it’s important to distinguish between the chronic homeless single person with chemical dependency issues and family homelessness.

“Often the chronically homeless individuals are the ones that do not necessarily want to be helped and are the ones that cycle in and out of jail,” she said.

Both Viola and Bergsvik say that such cases cost the most in terms of care because they cycle through emergency rooms and jails tapping more public resources.

“For family homelessness, there is the new way that services will be delivered beginning in February, which is really exciting,” Bergsvik said.

The Community Information Line – 211 – will be the only point of entry for families that need shelter, she said.

Catholic Community Services would then follow up with an assessment and the family would be placed in housing that best fits their needs.

In 2010 nearly 14,000 households lost their homes to foreclosure, a report by the United Way of King County found.

Plans are still developing, but Bergsvik said this will replace having to call shelters daily to find out who has a vacancy.

Each shelter may or may not have the mix of services that a family needs.

The need to supply services to both the chronically homeless and recently displaced remains great because of the state’s economy.

“I believe we will see more mentally ill on the streets since treatment has been cut and we are seeing more homeless already,” Bergsvik said.

Budget reductions in mental health funding in 2009, 2010 and 2011 continue to hurt the vulnerable in King County, found that same report by the United Way of King County and members of the State of Human Services Steering Committee of King County.

It found that the county has already cut mental health services to 325 people who are not covered by Medicaid and reduced a range of other services including crisis appointments, residential treatment and homeless outreach.

But, the call to action remains the same for those dedicated to the fight.

Valley Cities is looking at expanding its offices in Renton because it is seeing more people from the region in Renton, Viola said.

Blitstein, who reports to Viola, sees hope in the community for their Bridges Program.

“I think there’s greater awareness thankfully of the homeless plight,” Blitstein said.

She pointed out the homeless now include those people making minimum wages and living in their cars. With first and last month and deposit money to be raised, they often times don’t make enough money for rent.

“I would say no, I don’t think that there is enough resources, but I think the awareness is helping raise everyone’s consciousness that more needs to be done,” she said.

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

Bridges Program

For more information on Valley Cities and the Bridges Program call, 253-939-4055.

Medical unit

The South King County Mobile Medical Unit will be in Renton in January:

4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Jan. 11, Salvation Army, 720 S. Tobin St.

4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Jan. 26, 200 Mill Ave. S.

VAN DONATED

Local and national business have worked together to donate a van to Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation.

Mark Lovell, marketing director for Washington’s Precision Collision Auto Body, found a wheelchair accessible van for the counseling agency to use for its homeless veterans supportive housing program at Valley Cities Landing in Auburn. The van was donated by Geico Insurance . Allstate Insurance Roadside Services paid to tow it from California to Washington and LKQ/Keystone and PPG Industries donated paint materials and replacement parts.

Valley Cities Landing in Auburn will hold a Recycled Rides Ride-Away-Day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 19 at 2516 I Street N.E. in Auburn for residents and the partners who helped make the van possible.