Council accepts Pierce County Human Services grant, authorizes opioid settlement funds to sustain Puyallup hotel pilot project

The Puyallup City Council on July 1 accepted a Pierce County Human Services grant of $612,504 to continue the city’s hotel pilot project for people experiencing homelessness and authorized staff to use $95,956 from the city’s opioid settlement fund to make the program whole after a countywide reduction in HHP funding.

Why it matters: council and staff said the hotel pilot provides short-term shelter and case management that link participants to services; staff reported the program has been at capacity since its 2021 launch and that demand exceeds current capacity.

Program details and funding: Emergency Management Manager Kirsten Hoffman told council the project has served 224 people to date and that 60 people are on a wait list. Staff reported that 92% of program participants have used or currently use opioids; the city received one year of HHP funding for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, after a systemwide 10% reduction in Pierce County HHP allocations. The city’s opioid settlement fund balance shown at the meeting was $614,000; the council authorized using $95,956 from that fund to sustain program staffing and services for the upcoming year.

Agreement and next steps: the council also authorized staff to enter into an agreement with Catholic Community Services for delivery of hotel-case-management services under the grant. Hoffman said staff will continue to pursue additional funding and that the city aims to avoid reducing room capacity because the program has been at full occupancy.

Vote and implementation: the grant acceptance and opioid-settlement allocation were moved, seconded and approved by council voice vote during the July 1 meeting. Staff will execute the county grant agreement and proceed with the Catholic Community Services contract as authorized.