Saturday, October 3, 2026
The Thurston Regional Housing Council approved a $5.5 million allocation for the Encampment Resolution Program (ERP) in the 2025-26 funding cycle, or nearly half of what was awarded in the previous period.
For the 2024-25 funding cycle, Olympia and Thurston County received $9.5 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to fund the operations of 12 right-of-way (ROW) projects, now rebranded as ERP.
Starting on July 1, the total available funding for ERP program will be $5,576,751, Office of Housing and Homeless Prevention Manager Tom Webster told the council during a meeting on Wednesday, May 28.
The steep reduction will result in the defunding of four existing ERP projects:
"We heard from the Department of Commerce that their priorities for funding are that we maintain operations for the three projects that they invested capital dollars into," Webster said.
With the guidance from the Department of Commerce, staff recommended funding for three initiatives with modest increases:
In addition, staff also recommended funding for the other existing projects:
"A reduction in funding means that we cannot fund every program. It means a loss of beds," Webster said.
"This is the recommendation we are bringing forward to maintain the highest priority projects at the funding level we think allows them to continue to operate."
Lacey City Council member Caroline Cox raised concerns about the deteriorating conditions at Maple Court.
Operated by LIHI, Maple Court is a former hotel converted into a shelter and currently houses around 79 people.
"I am troubled with what I'm seeing at Maple Court. It is deteriorating," Cox said.
She pointed to inadequate supervision from the contracted operator and a lack of oversight for the supervision.
While Cox is not complaining about the funding for Maple Court, she said it may not be sufficient to ensure safe and stable shelter conditions.
Cox noted Maple Court's operating cost of about $26,000 per bed is significantly lower than Unity Commons, another shelter project, which operates at around $38,000 per bed.
"Where is the sweet spot to have enough funding to assure a quality operation where people are safe and cared for?" Cox said.
She floated possible solutions, including reducing the number of shelter beds at Maple Court to use the funding to improve the quality of care or advancing plans to convert the shelter into permanent supportive housing.
"We were awarded last year, a fair amount of $4.25 million for converting this facility into permanent supportive housing, which was the intention for that space. I think there's still a million dollars left that was intended to go for design," Cox said.
In response, Webster said the staff has been visiting Maple Court and talked to case managers. He committed to improving oversight of LIHI, and that they intend to revise the program's scope of work to address concerns around supervision and service quality.
"More money would be helpful, but I don't think it is the solution," said Webster, who emphasized better oversight and practices.
He added that LIHI has not yet spent its full $2.7 million contract.
Webster pointed out that Maple Court is owned by LIHI, which received direct state funding to acquire the former hotel. He said that ownership structure limits public oversight.
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BillString
More misspending and mismanagement. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Thursday, May 29, 2025 Report this
TheVirtualOne
How much more taxpayer money do you have to waste housing drug addicts and criminals? We are all tired of government spending our money on a bottomless pit for the “homeless”. You have created a dead carcass that is only attracting more maggots. Enough is enough. Please, please stop this!
Thursday, May 29, 2025 Report this
JulesJames
True "encampment resolution" is simply: "If you are still here when I come back around, you are doing a night in jail. If records there show this is a repeat offense, you are getting charged with illegal camping on public property." A whole lotta people will make much better decisions when the wrong decision comes with immediate consequences.
Thursday, May 29, 2025 Report this
Bobwubbena
It is time to establish an Olympia / Thurston County Public //personal Accountability Fee (PAF) for every night someone must use a “tiny home or a homeless shelter or a campsite on public property funded by the community. The PAF is partial payment for the support they are asking or need .The PAF is paid in cash or or a fixed number of public service hours cleaning debris from public property or cleaning up public shelters. The millions of public funds can be used for structures but the PAP funds should pay for supervision and operations. Currently there is no incentive for the user or the management to do anything but wait for the next government check.
Thursday, May 29, 2025 Report this
jimLacey
operating cost of about $26,000 to $38,000 per bed. How does that seem like a reasonable figure to anyone that has been involved with funding these and setting them up? Seems like a pretty flawed model to me.
Especially now that state funding is drying up. When Maple Court was set up, there was state funding provided for 3 years I think, with additional years' funding to be allocated somehow in the future. Many of us pointed out at the time that county taxpayers would likely be expected to replace that funding, and now it seems likely.
Friday, May 30, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
@ bobwabbena FEE For SLEEPING on the ground in a tent Outside in any weather? NOW thats a real sinister and Nazi type logic. You make it sound like a public campground and you know it isnt.
Friday, May 30, 2025 Report this
JMSimpson
If county officials - like Mr. Webster and his staff - had done their homework, they would have learned that LIHI has a very poor record when it comes to delivering on the services it says that it will. It is a bit too late to, as Mr. Webster stated, to emphasize "better oversight and practices."
John Simpson
Friday, May 30, 2025 Report this
TheGreatAnon
I really like JOLT. The moronic fascists spewing their ignorant hate at our poor neighbors in the comments, not so much.
Friday, May 30, 2025 Report this
ddttwo2
@TheGreatAnon (or not so great) Yes our poor Neighbors that made terrible decisions!!! Time to get a life.
Saturday, May 31, 2025 Report this
HappyOlympian
Wondering if Boatyarddog directly supports poor folks or just expects everyone else to do it......this is all way too expensive.......saying that makes me a heartless Nazi! Expecting people to make better choices and contribute more also evil. Curious if the residents at Maple Court are trashing the place and contributing to "deteriorating conditions". Historically, public housing fraught with problems - the only difference here is the enormous expense - as a home owner my mortgage and utilities do not come close to $26-38k pay per bed. Seems like everyone involved just a vampire bleeding the rest of us out.
Monday, June 2, 2025 Report this