Homeless veterans in Thurston County make up 8% of the county’s unhoused demographic, yet shelter beds reserved for them sit vacant and unoccupied most nights.
In light of the said underuse, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved a $49,275 contract on Tuesday, March 11, with Catholic Community Services (CCS) to extend the three-bed allotment at Drexel House Emergency Shelter throughout 2025.
Officials confirmedthe funding stays unchanged even though last year’s budget was not fully utilized.
During a BoCC agenda-setting meeting, Social Services Program Manager Mark Moffett explained the contract follows the same framework as previous years.
“This is a result of an RFP (Request for Proposal). We do this every year, and Catholic Community Services ... is the only one that has applied for the past five years,” he said.
The contract is structured under a “fee-for-service” model, meaning the county only pays when veterans occupy the beds. It will cover up to three beds per night for veterans meeting eligibility criteria.
“They haven’t changed their price of $45 per night since before COVID-19 (pandemic.) So, I think, it’s 2019 since last time they changed it, and as a fee-for-service. So, we don’t pay the full amount unless we use it,” Moffett said.
Given 2024’s spending went partially unused, the county officials revisited the program’s budget allocation.
Moffett acknowledged the underutilization, but indicated a change in strategy to maximize occupancy.
“So, I’m working with Catholic Community Services. … They want us to, if we have a veteran come in that’s qualified, we can send them directly to them. We give them a call and we’ll send them (the veterans) to them. So, it’s a little different. So, hopefully we can use up the entire contract this year.”
Moffett also confirmed the contract will be drawn from the Veterans Assistance Program.
According to the 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Report, the volunteers counted 28 unsheltered veterans, which is 8% of the county’s homeless population. Then, another 20 veterans were in emergency shelters, while 10% of individuals in transitional housing identified as veterans.
In the meeting’s discussion, BoCC Chair Tye Menser asked for clarification on the county’s homeless veteran population.
Moffett provided a concrete assessment and said many veterans do not seek assistance.
"Not all of them come in for services. It’s a different population. They don’t want to ask for that help, and when they do, we really want to get them involved," Moffett said.
The Drexel House contract allows veterans to stay for up to 90 days, with additional support services provided by CCS. Some leave early, while others reach the limit, the officials confirmed.
Commissioner Rachel Grant sought to clarify the specifics.
“Up to three beds each night, three beds, but up to how many days can someone stay?” Grant asked.
Moffett responded, “We try to limit it to 90 per veteran.”
Grant reiterated the scope of the program. “90 days of housing,” she said.
Moffett further detailed the wraparound assistance veterans receive while staying at Drexel House.
“And in that time, Catholic Community Services does provide some case management to try to get them into housing,” he stated.
Moffett also shared that the county had worked with other shelters.
“We have worked with other shelters in the past, Union Gospel Mission and Salvation Army, they just haven’t applied,” he said.
To bring greater visibility to the homeless veteran housing effort, Commissioner Emily Clouse advocated for public discourse to dispel misconceptions and promote transparency.
She insisted the program’s discussion be slotted into formal business meetings, as she noted a glaring gap between perception and fact.
Clouse said some locals claimed that the county “do not have any homeless veterans in the community.”
“I think this is extremely critical. I think all of us are in agreement that this is a really beneficial program. So, thank you for the work to move this forward,” she said.
Menser confirmed Clouse’s request that the contract could be added to the future meeting agenda.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Carolina Mejia noted Moffett’s team is part of the coordinated entry group that works with other service providers.
“I think that this is really important also for collaboration with all of the other homeless agencies, so that if they know that there's this availability for that specific population, that they can refer instead, you know, so they keep free up their beds by referring,” Grant said.
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