Lacey commission briefed on Regional Housing Council interim governance structure

Lacey Community and Economic Development Director Rick Walk discussed the interim governance structure of the Regional Housing Council (RHC) with the Lacey Planning Commission on Tuesday, October 18.

Walk said the organizational chart of the RHS stemmed from the recent establishment of the Thurston County Home Fund.

The county's commissioners serve as voting members of the RHC, while the representatives of the Housing Action Team and the Jurisdiction Staff are members without a vote.

Under the RHC admin are two advisory boards; the Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the Homeless Services Advisory Board. Walks said these advisory boards serve as the Lived Experience Steering Committee.

“Sometimes there are very tough topics or differences in opinions, so we’re going to start pushing the (RHC) meetings to in-person,” said Walk, describing the online meetings of the RHC.

According to the county website, the Thurston County Home Fund is a sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent. This tax applies throughout Thurston County, including the City of Lacey. Thurston said the fund aims to “create affordable housing for County residents whose income is 60 percent or below of Area Median Income.”