The Vice Chair of the Pierce County Council motioned to reconsider the Council’s summer supplemental to the 2024-2025 Biennial Budget on Tuesday, Sept. 3, following revelations of contracting issues in the Pierce County Human Services Department
The motion was approved for the Council to act on the summer supplemental budget at its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to allow time to draft amendments.
Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier declared a State of Emergency regarding critical homeless services in the County on Tuesday, Sept. 3, to ensure Coordinated Entry (CE) services continues uninterrupted. The CE system is often referred to as the “front door” of the County’s Homeless Crisis Response System because of its role in connecting individuals with emergency shelters, safe parking sites, day shelters, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. Contracts with CE service providers expired Aug. 31, 2024.
The service contracts could not be extended under existing County Code and procurement rules.
“Frankly, it’s unacceptable that we got to this point,” said Campbell. “We’ve been asking for months what is going on with the Coordinated Entry contracts and received assurances it was being handled. Clearly, it was not.”
Council Chair Ryan Mello added, “There are millions of taxpayer dollars in this budget to be spent by the Human Services Department. We have a responsibility to act when we see evidence of mismanagement.”
The Council and Executive have been in a public debate over a $2.5 million appropriation in the summer supplemental budget for non-congregate temporary micro shelter communities – such as tiny homes – for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. On Aug. 27, the Council adopted amendments to prohibit the funding from being used for individual tents for sleeping shelters, limit community occupancy to 60, and require residents to adhere to a code of conduct that prohibits on-site use of alcohol and illicit drugs.
Priority for this funding is given to all incorporated cities, except Tacoma, which currently carries 80% of the County’s total shelter capacity, that want to site a temporary housing community. Priority is also given to communities that use the funds to provide services to help community occupants move forward to permanent housing. Before any funding contract is implemented, the County’s Human Services Department is required to hold a public meeting at the proposed site to hear about any concerns from the surrounding neighborhood.
In addition to the $2.5 million budget appropriation, The Council’s summer supplemental budget also includes other investments aimed at addressing pressing community issues such as affordable housing, the opioid crisis and homelessness. The supplemental budget includes the following key appropriations:
- Affordable Housing: An additional $1.865 million will be allocated to support the construction of 500 new permanently affordable housing units through the Tacoma Housing Authority’s Aviva Crossing project, addressing major cost overruns. This funding was included in the Executive’s proposal; the only change made by the Council is the source of funding (utilizing Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act Sales Tax rather than American Rescue Plan Act interest earnings).
- Homelessness Intervention Services: A $3.2 million increase in funding is made for homelessness intervention services, including outreach, case management, and emergency shelter, to enhance support for vulnerable populations and move people off the street. Less than half of the funding requested for shelter services was awarded in the most recent procurement for the Homeless Housing Program. About $19.6 million was requested, but only a total of $6.5 million was funded. This appropriation aims to close that funding gap.
- Opioid Crisis Response: $2 million is allocated to establish new mobile medically assisted treatment services for individuals suffering from opioid use disorder. Between January 2021 and June 2023, more than 800 Pierce County residents lost their lives to drug overdoses, including those involving stimulants, and those are the ones we’re aware of. The crisis is most rapidly growing among young adults aged 18-24, both in Washington State and Pierce County.
- Economic Development: The Executive’s proposal to increase funding for the Community Navigator Program, with an emphasis on supporting Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) organizations in helping small businesses through start-up and growth phases are included.
- Youth Violence Prevention: The Council allocated $126,100 of Prevention Services funds for six youth violence prevention programs for calendar year 2025. It is a Council priority to create alternatives to getting in trouble for young people, and instead creating safe places with caring adults so young people may thrive.
- Rental and Utility Assistance: The Council directed that any ARPA funding that is in danger of not being obligated by the Dec. 31, 2024, deadline be used to help individuals at risk of being evicted. Keeping people in their current housing is a proven strategy to preventing homelessness.
- Four Other Budget Adjustments: Because of contract delays, $472,000 of park impact fees is reappropriated to the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District. The deadline for performance audit of the Human Services Department contracting and procurement practices is extended from Sept. 30, 2024, to Feb. 1, 2025, to provide a more thorough and complete review. Lastly, two spending neutral adjustments are made to some community need projects.
