From homeless to a seat on the City Council. East Pierce man has a unique perspective

Tod Gunther has an Army-green jacket with a velcro patch that reads, “FMR. HOMELESS,” on one side. Pins that read, “STIGMA SUX,” and, “Street Strong,” are attached to the other side.

He said he often wears the jacket so others are aware that he knows what it is like to be unhoused.

Gunther, 60, is the deputy mayor of Orting. He became part of the City Council about 10 years ago when a council member resigned. Around the same time he got a council seat, he was unhoused for about a year.

“Due to a family tragedy, I became homeless. I lost everything and ended up on the streets of Tacoma,” Gunther said. “I lived in shelters. I was behind dumpsters. I was in abandoned buildings. Vehicles. Tents. I did it all.”

Eventually, he found a job and saved what money he could. He rented a room in somebody’s house, which he said was cheaper than paying over $1,400 for an apartment or studio.

For the last couple of months, Gunther and other City Council members have been mulling over a service that could help local people experiencing homelessness.

The News Tribune reported in December that Recovery Cafe Orting Valley has proposed a safe-parking program at 110 Train St. SE. It would give unhoused residents a place to stay and support to transition to long-term housing.

The proposal has transformed over time, and it has gone back and forth between the City Council and the city’s Community and Government Affairs Committee. The council last discussed safe parking April 17 during a study session.

At that meeting, the committee proposed to limit safe-parking programs to religious organizations. Gunther said the City Council sent back the proposal to the committee because the council decided that the program should also be allowed at social agencies.

The City Council had not made a final decision about safe-parking programs as of May 8. When asked when it would be finalized, Gunther said he did not know.

City administrator Scott Larson wrote in an email that safe parking will be on the Community and Government Affairs Committee’s agenda June 5.

Gunther supports having a safe-parking program. Every city has residents experiencing homelessness, and it is not just a crisis for Seattle, he said.

There is a common misconception about unhoused people, he said, and some think they cause harm to others and that they are “zombies.”

“When you walk in their shoes like I did when I was on the streets … it gives you clear eyes,” Gunther said.

Homelessness is a complex problem that might take a long time to fix, he said. It might take generations to find a solution.

Gunther said the city is doing a “very fine job” to address homelessness. Recovery Cafe has been helpful to unhoused residents since 2018, he said.

He became a City Council member because he wanted to make a difference. His vision for the city includes making it more “balanced,” he said. He wants residents of all socioeconomic backgrounds to be taken care of.

“We all pledge allegiance to the flag and justice and fairness for all,” Gunther said. “I take that seriously.”

He works at the Recovery Cafe as an outreach specialist and case manager. Previously, he was a manager at Orting Veterans Village. He has also worked at several shelters in Pierce and King counties.

Gunther served in the Navy for about five years. He spent most of his time in Okinawa, Japan. He used to live in California, and he was born in Kansas City, Missouri.