Lewis County adopts agreement to allow occupancy of new homeless shelter while Chehalis finalizes its approval

The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners on June 3 approved a development agreement that allows occupancy of a new Lewis County homeless shelter, though the city of Chehalis has not yet completed its approval.

Mija Hamlin, director of Lewis County Public Health and Social Services, told commissioners that the county believes it has met required frontage and improvement conditions and “we can ratify and move forward.” Hamlin said the county has a “very vested interest in us getting occupancy so we could, at the minimum, start that process of utilizing that lovely facility.”

Hamlin and other staff said bids for associated work had already been issued and that the selection of a contractor was scheduled the following day. County staff and at least one commissioner described the city of Chehalis’ prior action as a technical tabling; Hamlin said the county has been in regular contact with the Chehalis city manager but that Chehalis has not yet approved its side of the agreement.

Hamlin noted the shelter includes two family pods intended to reduce instances of families sleeping in cars; she cited existing reliance on a Salvation Army night‑by‑night shelter and described the new facility as “a huge step forward in giving people a, dignified place to sleep.” The development agreement was part of deliberation items acted on by the board and was approved as presented; the meeting record shows deliberation items 25-153 through 25-155 were approved by voice vote, recorded as "Motion passes 3-0."

The transcript does not record specific occupancy dates, contract award amounts or the exact outstanding steps required from the city of Chehalis. Commissioners and staff said they would proceed with contractor selection and necessary county steps to prepare the facility for occupancy.