Encampment relocation program advances, includes hotel purchase in Olympia

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Thurston County’s Social Services Housing and Homeless Prevention Coordinator Keylee Marineau said relocations from homeless camps to the Maple Court Enhanced Shelter in Lacey are ongoing.

At the same time, another hotel has been acquired in Olympia to support the encampment relocation program further.

During the agenda-setting meeting of the Thurston Board of County Commissioners, Marineau provided a comprehensive briefing on the latest developments concerning housing programs in the county.

Marineau said Maple Court currently has six available rooms for individuals seeking housing assistance. Over the past week, the program successfully relocated five individuals from the Desmond property, three from the Lacey list, and two from the Olympia Mutual Aid partner list.

However, Marineau said three individuals from Desmond remain on Lacey's original list, and approximately three to four individuals on Olympia Mutual Aid's list are awaiting relocation, totaling around seven more people needing housing support.

Furthermore, Marineau highlighted updates to the code of conduct at Maple Court, emphasizing the implementation of changes predominantly centered around the requirement of case management rather than it being optional.

Addressing concerns raised during the Regional Housing Council, Marineau clarified that individuals residing at Desmond were cross-referenced across multiple lists with various service providers.

“There's no way to know 100% for sure, but anyone who is at Desmond is either on the Lacey name list or the Olympia Mutual Aid list,” said Marineau.

New acquisition

In another development related to the encampment relocation program, Marineau mentioned the impending purchase of a hotel by Interfaith Works in Olympia.

The acquisition is slated to conclude on March 15, pending responses from the seller to queries raised by Interfaith Works. Additionally, plans are underway for rehabilitation efforts, including constructing a Community Kitchen, laundry facilities, and converting a presidential suite into offices.

Construction is scheduled to commence in April, with a projected move-in date of July 1, pending successful execution of the plans.

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  • Moorhead

    Where is the hotel that is being acquired by Interfaith Works?

    Friday, March 8 Report this

  • Yeti1981

    The lack of responsible management over Maple Court put my 16-year-old (and others that work in the area) at serious risk. It is not normal for a 16-year-old to have witnessed multiple overdoses already. I hope that the new rules there are far more strict than the allowance of the drug den it has become.

    Friday, March 8 Report this

  • JW

    Please stop pandering to these people. Stop the ongoing waste and corruption destroying the cities.

    When is enough enough?

    Friday, March 8 Report this

  • Claire

    Clean up the Jungle. Irreparable harm to Thurston County's ecosystem.

    Friday, March 8 Report this

  • AugieH

    The Walmart on Galaxy and close to Maple Court has closed its self-checkouts because of excessive theft. Gee, who would've thought?

    Saturday, March 9 Report this