Fife, Pierce County to convert motel into homeless shelter

Fife could be the subsequent area in which officers change a motel into a homeless shelter.

The director of county Human Products and services Heather Moss informed the Pierce County Council on Monday that workers are doing the job with the City of Fife to identify a motel for these a project.

The county has established aside $5 million of federal COVID-19 dollars for the acquire, and Fife has promised up to $1.8 million.

It would be the second time Pierce County has been included in a job to transform a motel into a homeless shelter. The county, Tacoma and Lakewood jointly ordered the Consolation Inn in Oct to develop into Tacoma’s latest homeless shelter. The governments put in $8.8 million to order a 94-bed, 3-tale hotel at 8620 S. Hosmer St.

Congress accepted the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in March 2021, which passed alongside $130.2 billion dollars to nearby governments to react to the coronavirus pandemic.

Pierce County is slated to obtain $175 million more than a two-12 months period of time. Governments can invest the money on payroll and charges for these items as community security, public health and fitness, health treatment and human companies.

The acquire of a Fife motel, together with substantially of the Pierce County’s $253 million homeless and reasonably priced housing budget, slide into the human companies group of ARPA limitations.

No motel has been ordered, but the county is looking for an firm to run the program. The bidding procedure for providers opened on April 29. Human Products and services spokesperson Kari Moore mentioned personnel want to see if a homeless service company has a guide by now prior to locating and shopping for a motel.

“So that’s going on suitable now. I’m definitely fired up about that one particular,” Moss said. “We know that there are at minimum two or three companies who are seeking at probable resort operations in Fife for our homeless inhabitants.”

The county determined Fife for financial commitment in homeless means since of the want there, Moore said.

“It will extend our shelter solutions outdoors of Tacoma, and Fife was open up to a partnership,” she stated in an e-mail.

Fife is also contributing federal dollars for the proposal. Fife Metropolis Council accepted a resolution at a December council assembly to take into consideration supplying up to $1.8 million in ARPA resources of its $2.8 million ARPA allocation to transform a hotel or motel into a homeless shelter.

The city of Fife is performing with the county to check out to secure a next company company, spokesperson Kelsey Geddes said.

The town introduced a work opportunities program in October.

In this 3-pronged technique, the town delivers housing and shelter, a job and wages and food and cleanliness services for each and every participant. Geddes explained to The News Tribune on Wednesday the plan has eight individuals progressing through the 12 months-lengthy plan.

“The target of this program is to provide housing insecure and underemployed citizens of Fife occupation teaching and expertise tied to dignified work and general public advantage inside of the city of Fife,” Geddes mentioned in an e-mail. “We’ve already observed tremendous results and group help above the previous 6 months.”