Umatilla County The top three household needs in Umatilla County, in the last twelve months, are financial assistance, heating/utility assistance, and food assistance. The top three problems related to housing in the last twelve months as reported by community members are can’t afford the electric bill, can’t afford the needed repairs, and bad credit. Over one third say they have not had enough food. Thirty-five percent of Umatilla County community members say lack of transportation has been a problem for them in the last twelve months. The top three reasons were due to inability to afford gas, inability to afford car repair and inability to pay for car insurance. Transportation issues, in the last twelve months, has been a problem for twenty percent of the respondents as a reason for someone in their household who is not working for pay. For the different types of financial literacy services there are anywhere between four to seventeen percent interest. The top three hard to receive healthcare services are dental, mental health, and vision. Depression and overcoming trauma are the top two counseling services hardest to get help with. Recent barriers/challenges for families include finances, healthcare, and housing. As for having enough opportunities for children and youth in their communities sixty-eight percent of the community members say ‘no’ or they ‘don’t know.’ Seventy percent state there are no, or they don’t know of, socialization opportunities for senior citizens in their communities. The one housing service most needed is rent assistance with the most needed transportation service being improve public transportation. Community partners feel access to resources, community partnerships, the community supporting each other, and bilingual services are their greatest strengths. They feel the greatest challenges are housing and transportation, addressing the root causes of individual’s challenges, limited capacity for service providers, limited funding for resources, along with mental health and substance use issues, and language barriers are their greatest challenges. Umatilla County community partners would like to see investments in affordable housing, mental health and substance use disorders programs, childcare, continuum of care across agencies with client personal histories, transportation, Spanish language interpretation, job skills, Spanish speaking leadership, and cultural competency. Respondents say they would like to see the community members who are being served brought to the table to engage in decision making as it pertains to them. Job skills development, more adult education, including other community events that community members are drawn to that teach skills to help them be more self-sufficient, and more affordable housing are community partner insights on the best way to achieve the six goals of Community Action. Wasco County Community members in Wasco County state the top three household needs, in the last twelve months, are dental care, quality childcare and family/couples counseling. Families recently have experienced barriers/challenges with finances, healthcare, and childcare. Reasons for unemployment include criminal background, lack of permanent address, and lack of skills/education. Fifty-six percent said they had challenges with transportation, in the last twelve months, due to inability to afford car repair, public transportation is too far, and inability to afford gas. For those who are not working for pay twenty-two percent are caring for children. Housing problems experienced in the last twelve months include can’t afford needed repairs, can’t find affordable housing, and can’t afford electric bill. Thirty-six percent said their household has had to choose between paying a bill or buying food to meet other basic needs. Budgeting and saving for retirement are the top two financial literacy services community members are interested in. Mental health and dental care are the two highest healthcare services hardest to access while overcoming trauma and depression are the two counseling services most difficult to get. Sixty-six percent of community members responding said there are not enough, or didn’t know of, opportunities for children and youth in CAPECO | Community Needs Assessment Report | 2021 15
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