Office of Housing & Homeless Prevention
Our Approach
Thurston County’s Office of Housing and Homeless Prevention (OHHP) manages a mix of federal, state and local funds to support three objectives.
(1) Create and preserve decent affordable housing.
(2) End homelessness.
(3) Provide capital investments which improve the viability, livability, and economic stability of Thurston County communities, particularly low-and moderate-income communities.
The work is accomplished in partnership with the county’s housing and social service providers and in cooperation with cities.
With the exception of the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, OHHP works with the Regional Housing Council to allocate funds and establish regional priorities. CDBG funds are managed in coordination with the cities of Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, Rainier and the town of Bucoda.
OHHP also has responsibility for overseeing the homeless crisis response system (HCRS) in Thurston County. This is done through the creation and implementation of a 5-Year Homeless Crisis Response Plan, which is the basis for homeless services funding priorities. We also implement or support a variety of initiatives or efforts to reduce homelessness and to address racial and ethnic disparities within the HCRS.
Newsroom
Check out the County News Feed for all of the most recent updates and announcements.
Opportunity to Comment
Thurston County is receiving public comment on the Assessment of Fair Housing and the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan. The county expects to receive annual federal funding to be used in activities to include providing affordable housing, maintaining a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities countywide. The Assessment of Fair Housing provides an analysis of fair housing disparities within the county in order to inform goals and priorities to address those issues. The Consolidated Plan suggests policy direction for the county’s activities during the five-year period.
A public hearing regarding these matters is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18th, at 3:30 PM in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room at the Atrium, 3000 Pacific Ave. SE, Suite 110, Olympia, WA 98501.
Comments can also be submitted to: Tom Webster, Program Manager, Public Health and Social Services, 412 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506, by phone at 360-867-2532, or email at Thomas.webster@co.thurston.wa.us, and will be received by 5 pm on April 18th.
Funding & Request for Proposals
Thurston County’s Office of Housing and Homeless Prevention is pleased to announce the release of its Request for Proposals for its 2023 funding cycle. Applications are due Friday March 31, 2023, at 12:00 noon. As in previous years, applications must be submitted through Zoom Grants.
You can access the application at: https://www.zoomgrants.com/gprop.asp?donorid=2253&limited=4467
A few other notes and highlights regarding this RFP:
- A bidder’s conference was held on Thursday March 2nd. A recording of the meeting can be viewed via Zoom Link Passcode: Qx+&6Ua&. Please note the meeting starts shortly after the 11-minute mark.
- For applicants applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, projects must be used to benefit residents of Lacey. The City of Lacey will host a CDBG information session at Lacey City Hall on March 14, 2023 at 5:30pm.
- The three RFPs that have been released are for:
- Affordable Housing and Homeless Services activities
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (for projects in or for Lacey)
- Veterans Emergency Shelter Beds
- Once you log into to Zoom Grants and start an application, the attached documents plus additional supporting documents are available under the “Library” tab.
- Finally, for agencies that have applied for funding in the past few years, the RFP and Zoom Grants application will look largely familiar, but there are a few changes this year. In particular, for those applying for Affordable Housing and Homeless Services please note that the Regional Housing Council has set aside funding to provide up to $5,000 for up to 12 agencies for organizational DEI activities.
Please email HousingThurston@co.thurston.wa.us with questions.
Homeless Housing
The Homeless Housing Program assists homeless individuals, couples, and families whose income is at or below 80% of the area median income. Funding for the program is derived from legislative mandated surcharge on document recording fees that are shared between the state and local counties.
Eligible Applicants:
Non-Profit organizations, local municipalities within the county, profit developers, and faith-based organizations that provide homeless housing services in accordance with the requirements of the Homeless Housing Program.
Eligible Activities:
Eligible activities are going to depend on the specific funding source and will be outlined in each Request for Proposals (RFP) issued. Some examples of previously funded activities include:
- Shelter programs
- Permanent Supportive Housing
- Outreach
- Hotel Vouchers
- Rapid Re-Housing
- Coordinated Entry
- Eviction Prevention
- Diversion & Homeless Prevention
- Housing Basic Needs