Pierce County Council frustrated with lack of progress on homeless site

Frustrations are growing among Pierce County councilmembers after Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier’s office requested a shift of funding for a proposed $2.5 million homeless stability site.

The county has struggled to find a low-barrier homeless stability site outside the City of Tacoma to increase homeless services to other parts of Pierce County. The site would provide emergency shelter with an emphasis on providing private space for guests.

The Pierce County Finance Department briefed the county council on Monday about its proposed supplemental budget. The county has $86.1 million remaining in federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to spend through 2026. Out of that $86.1 million, $36.9 million must be committed in accordance with programmatic requirements by the end of this year.

The proposed $2.5 million homeless stability site is at risk of not fully utilizing its dedicated ARPA funds, according to the presentation. Last month, Pierce County councilmembers were looking to submit requests for proposals, but the latest presentation indicated that has yet to be done.

Pierce County Councilmember Marty Campbell pointed out that the council was previously told that the notice of fund availability and request for proposals for the homeless stability site had been ready for some time but has not been put out yet.

Chris Cooley, strategic advisor for the Pierce County Executive’s Office, said the request for proposals is around 85% drafted, but that the office is hesitant to put it out due to the supplemental budget being unclear on what funding for the project will look like going forward.

This was not the response that councilmembers wanted to hear. Campbell and fellow County Councilmember Ryan Mello voiced frustrations with the county executive’s office for struggling to get the homeless stability site project running.

“We’re in the same tough spot we’ve been in since we first authorized this last fall. Why are we in mid-July and just now realizing that we’re in a tough spot,” Campbell asked at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting. “Why is something that this council asked for very clearly failing to be done?”

“We get one answer one day and often crickets for weeks and often told something totally different a month later,” Mello continued. “We’re incredibly frustrated at the executive’s office.”

The county executive’s office is now proposing shifting $1.85 million from the stability site funding to the Aviva Crossing Project as part of its proposed supplemental budget changes. This is due to the project having recently been flagged for $11 million in increased infrastructure costs by the Tacoma Housing Authority. The agency identified a funding gap of $1.85 million as a result.

Approximately $635,000 would be redirected to homeless and housing services and the remaining $140,000 to youth diversion programs.

The Pierce County Council will have to adopt the supplemental budget by Aug. 27.