Crossroads Housing outlines countywide homeless services, reports dozens in shelter and hundreds on master list

Tanya Fraser, executive director of Crossroads Housing, told the Mason County Board of Commissioners that her organization operates the county’s coordinated entry system and multiple shelter and housing programs and is focused on diverting people from the crisis response system into stable housing.

Fraser said Crossroads is the lead for coordinated entry in Mason County and operates a 24-hour intake line used by law enforcement, medics, hospitals and partner agencies to refer people who are literally homeless into services. “Once the intake is done, that is when the magic happens,” Fraser said, describing referrals to shelters, Veterans Village and other programs and a county master list that staff call weekly to check status and follow up.

Why it matters: Commissioners heard program-level counts and performance measures they can use to guide funding and policy decisions. Fraser asked the commission to support efforts to increase housing stock and to help craft statutory or rule definitions that would make more residents eligible for certain homeless services.

Fraser reported program activity and outcomes since July 1, 2023: Crossroads operates four temporary emergency shelters (87 individuals and 32 households served since July 1); a transitional housing program (97 individuals and 28 households served with the program reporting 100% exits to permanent housing); and central programs for rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing (reported as 38 individuals and 50 households served and an 86% exit-to-permanent-housing rate). Across shelter and outreach work, Fraser said Crossroads’ current master list contains 294 people identified as homeless, 16 of whom are under age 18. She said the point-in-time (street) count registered 249 individuals on the day of the count, a slight increase over the prior year’s street count.

On eviction prevention, Fraser said Crossroads has funded 93 households since July 1, 2023, and that the average assistance per household is a little over $4,400. She described eligibility checks that include pay stubs and home inspections before financial help is approved.

Fraser described the outreach work supporting the county’s point-in-time census and a mapping effort used by outreach teams and law enforcement. She said volunteers and staff extended outreach into more remote areas and that improved coverage likely contributed to the higher street count this year. “As they become communities, other ones start coming into them,” she said, explaining that encampments can grow as people join existing sites.

Commissioners asked about program priorities and gaps. Fraser said the largest needs are more housing broadly and expanded mental-health resources. She also flagged a recurring administrative barrier: some residents who appear to meet the needs-based criteria for permanent supportive housing do not have documented disability status required by funders. Fraser agreed to draft proposed language for a definition of “vulnerable adult” or similar eligibility criteria to share with county staff and legislative contacts to help make more residents eligible for available programs.

Fraser also described ancillary services run or coordinated by Crossroads: a community shower program (about 15 showers per day), case management partnerships (for financial counseling, legal assistance and substance-use programs) and diversion strategies aimed at preventing full entry into the crisis system.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Fraser and invited continued coordination, including a possible draft definition for vulnerable adults to present to regional partners and the state legislative contact mentioned in the briefing. No formal county action was taken during the briefing; commissioners directed staff to follow up on specific questions about vouchers and partnership agreements.