This is the final part of a three-part series about the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office of Neighborhoods. Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here.

The Office of Neighborhoods’ commitment to their clients pays off. McCurry recalled the first time he met a man named Kevin at a large homeless camp.  Kevin told him that he wasn’t homeless and he was just passing through. He quickly turned around and walked the other way.

After a few months of reaching out to Kevin, the team got him on board with their program. He was on the list in mid-February to get his chemical dependency assessment.

Deputy Adam Malaby didn’t see Kevin at first when he went to pick him up — but Kevin was motivated to get on with the program.

“He saw me and chased me down,” Malaby told McCurry over the phone. Malaby then brought him to Evergreen Recovery Centers for the assessment.

A few hours later, McCurry picked Kevin up. Kevin promptly mentioned he was hungry. McCurry pulled up to a McDonald’s and took his order: a “Signature Crafted” burger on an artisan roll, with fries and a soda of course.

“A year ago, I wouldn’t have trusted anybody, especially not police,” Kevin said. That changed after talking with the members of the Office of Neighborhoods, he added.

The assessment wasn’t easy. Kevin said he “faced a lot of demons” in that room.

He also added he felt a lot better knowing he was moving forward, even though he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

There seem to be roadblocks in the way during every step of the process for the Office of Neighborhoods. The crew has to do a lot of problem solving.

First, it seems like getting someone an ID card should be simple. But when working with people who don’t have any official documents, it can be hard to track down something the Department of Licensing will recognize.

Take Kenny, one of the men the Office of Neighborhoods is helping. He is on board with their program, but is stuck at the first step, getting an ID.

He was born in Germany. His parents are dead. He lost most of his belongings in Hurricane Katrina before moving to Snohomish County. For him to get an ID, he will need to get some sort of certified document that is recognized by the Department of Licensing.

It’s not impossible, but it will be expensive and will take time. The Office of Neighborhoods is working with other departments in the county to see if there is a way to make the process faster or simpler. No obvious solutions have come up yet, but steps are being made.

The group’s determination is showing results. So far, 17 clients have been housed through clean and sober housing, transitional housing, permanent housing or family reunification. Twenty-six clients now have ID cards, 22 have insurance and 28 have completed a chemical dependency assessment.

Although three people who were housed by the Office of Neighborhoods, such as through family reunification, have returned to living on the street, no one who has completed the full program has relapsed. All three who returned to the street were moved into housing without engaging in any other services.

The program as a whole is just over a year old and has only had a dedicated social worker for about seven months. The long-term success has yet to be seen.

Their work is starting to get noticed by other departments in the county. The Lynnwood, Kent and Lake Stevens police departments have all reached out to the Office of Neighborhoods to learn more about their approach to homelessness issues. The Snohomish County Executive has also had a staff member ride along with them. The homeless engagement liaison for the YWCA has had a meeting with them.

And since the work load is constantly growing, the office is working to add another social worker and another deputy .

It’s a job that takes a lot of heart and passion. McCurry says there is nothing he would rather do.

“Catching bad guys was rewarding,” he said. “That’s why you get into police work. But this, this is even more rewarding.”

–Story and photos by Natalie Covate