Regional Housing Council to review homeless services and affordable housing project funding  

The Thurston County Regional Housing Council (RHC) is set to review recommendations for homeless services programs, with $12.8 million in funding available to support initiatives from 65 applicants.  

The housing council will also evaluate the funding recommendations from the Thurston Affordable Housing Advisory Board (TAHAB) for 10 affordable housing projects.  The housing council meets on Wednesday, April 9.

In January, the RHC approved requests for proposals for homeless services programs and affordable housing projects for 2025. The requests for proposals (RFPs) were issued on Jan. 24 with a deadline on Feb. 28.  

The RFPs attracted 65 eligible applications for homeless services grants, with a total funding request of $25.7 million.  

The Housing Services Advisory Board (HSAB) reviewed and scored all applications to determine funding recommendations.  

Key factors in the advisory board's decision-making included alignment with RFP priorities, application scores, program viability at reduced funding levels, and contingency planning for potential state budget fluctuations. 

The recommended funding allocations cover various categories, including Coordinated Entry, Housing and Essential Needs (HEN), Eviction Prevention Rent Assistance (EPRA), and Cold and Hazardous Weather services, among others. About $50,000 has been set aside for the Lived Experience Housing Steering Committee (LEHSC) grant, pending a new RFP for that specific program. 

The RFP for the 2025 Affordable Housing Projects received 10 applications, totaling $10.4 million in funding requests. The available funding for this program is $5.39 million, sourced from the Local Home Fund (Thurston County and Olympia), House Bill 1406, Senate Bill 5386 and the HOME Investment Partnership Act.  

TAHAB reviewed and scored the applications. The funding is expected to support projects that would create 186 new affordable housing units and maintain affordability for approximately 86 existing households.  

If approved by the RHC, both recommendations will be forwarded to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners for final approval.