Information

Type: Deliberation

Department: PHSS - Public Health & Social Services

Directors' Update: April 26, 2023

Business Meeting: May 2, 2023

Summary:

This resolution selects HopeSource and The Salvation Army as the providers to participate in collaborative program design for and operations of a permanent night-by-night or equivalent shelter for people experiencing homelessness.  The shelter will serve not merely as emergency housing, but also as springboard into housing and supportive services to help clients step up into more permanent housing and improved, more self-sufficient lives.  Four applicants submitted responses to a request for proposals for this service.  An eleven-member selection committee consisting of county staff, citizen advisors, and local city representatives reviewed the submissions and interviewed the applicants, along with three additional county staff facilitating the process.  They offered their recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, who selected the providers.

Publications:

Cover Letter To:

Additional Copies To: Justia Madrigal, PH&SS

Resolution

WHEREAS, Lewis County, like all communities in Western Washington, has seen an increase in homelessness over the prior decade; and

WHEREAS, to provide emergency housing for those in need, the County previously established a cold weather shelter, which became a temporary night-by-night shelter; and

WHEREAS, as the need grew, the County adopted a Housing Initiative to complement its 5-year plan to prevent homelessness, envisioning a robust housing pipeline in which those in need can find emergency housing and then step up in to more permanent and better housing options, as well as improved lives, on the path to their maximum level of self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, a key part of this vision is an efficient, effective, and permanent shelter at a known location - a first rung on the stepladder out of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, such a shelter's operations are a complex, important undertaking that must satisfy a large number of community concerns, mesh successfully into a web of existing supportive services, and be cost-effective and self-sustaining over time; and

WHEREAS, the need for such a shelter is current, so it should start as soon as practicable, but it also must be done well so as to meet community needs over time; and

WHEREAS, Lewis County solicited citizens' input on how such a shelter should operate to match their values via a public forum, and endeavors to incorporate such values into an accountable, community-responsive program; and

WHEREAS, Lewis County solicited service providers' input on how such a shelter should operate to best use their existing supportive services, and endeavors to incorporate such efficiencies into an effective program; and

WHEREAS, Lewis County obtained a Rural Technical Assistance (RTA) grant for expert technical work to realize the goals set forth above, including assistance with program formulation, financial planning, and architectural design; and

WHEREAS, Lewis County sought the expertise, experience, creativity, and innovation of a provider through a Request for Proposals to join a collaborative process in which the applicant, the County, technical consultants, and a citizen advisory committee design an interim and final program for the shelter responsive to all of these needs; and

WHEREAS, four applicants submitted responses to a request for proposals for this service, each of whom offered credible proposals to provide both emergency housing and a means of helping people step up into more permanent housing and individual self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, an eleven-member selection committee consisting of county staff, citizen advisors, and local city representatives reviewed the submissions and interviewed the applicants, along with three additional county staff facilitating the process, in a rigorous process to explore the best options in the proposals; and

WHEREAS, the selection committee offered their recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for its consideration in selecting the provider(s); and

WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners has considered this input, with gratitude and respect for the conscientious service of that committee.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that HopeSource and The Salvation Army are selected to participate in collaborative program design for and operations of a permanent night-by-night or equivalent shelter for people experiencing homelessness.  HopeSource's coordinated entry system is to be incorporated into the shelter design; The Salvation Army is to operate the shelter.  The two will cooperate to make the shelter not merely emergency housing, but a springboard into more permanent housing and improved, more self-sufficient lives; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED county staff is directed to negotiate a phased contract with each provider starting with the collaborative design process, which shall be used to generate the scope of work for shelter operations via a subsequent phase or subsequent contract; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED staff is further directed to carry out the collaborative design process with stakeholder input and technical assistance as planned, with due respect and consideration given to the selected providers' experience and knowledge in this field, and need for integrity and ownership of their operations.

DONE IN OPEN SESSION this 2nd day of May, 2023.