Olympia City Council to address agreement for Encampment Resolution Program

The Olympia City Council is set to vote on a resolution authorizing an interagency agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce that would provide nearly $1.8 million to support local housing and homelessness programs.

The agreement would fund the city’s participation in the state’s Encampment Resolution Program – Housing Division, with the money supporting operations at two village sites and staffing for outreach and administrative positions.

According to a city staff report, the funding includes:

• $1.2 million for operations at Franz Anderson Tiny Home Village
• $330,000 for one year of operations for 30 beds at Quince Street Village
• $126,000 to support City of Olympia outreach staff
• $120,000 for administrative costs

Franz Anderson Tiny Home Village was created in 2023 under Gov. Jay Inslee’s Rights of Way Safety Initiative. It offers 50 tiny homes for transitional housing for unhoused residents in the community. It has been operated by Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP) since its development.

The Franz Anderson Village would be operated by Valeo Vocation, which has been a partner with the city in offering the Journey2Jobs program. The program provides applicable job skills and wrap-around support for unhoused people to enter or reenter the workforce.

Valeo Vocation currently runs operations of Plum Street Village and shelters in Tacoma.

The agreement would also extend support to Quince Village, which provides temporary shelter for individuals exiting encampments.

The resolution is one of the items included on the council’s consent calendar on Tuesday, Oct. 7.