Cowlitz County proclaims February 2025 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month; emergency shelter awarded county contract

The Cowlitz County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 18 declared February 2025 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and approved a one-year, $150,000 contract with Emergency Support Shelter to support shelter operations for people fleeing domestic violence.

The proclamation, read aloud at the start of the meeting, named Emergency Support Shelter as a local resource and asked schools and community organizations to participate in awareness activities. A representative from Emergency Support Shelter described the agency’s mission and programs and outlined outreach for the month. “We offer emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their children, free and confidential domestic violence advocacy, legal advocacy, and support for victims of crime and sexual assault,” the advocate said.

Commissioners then voted to approve a one-year contract for shelter operations with Emergency Support Shelter. Health and Human Services staff told commissioners the contract total is $150,000, of which $100,000 supports basic shelter operations and up to $50,000 is a dollar-for-dollar county match of private donations. Staff said the contract is funded from a portion of the county’s document recording fees that is designated for housing and homeless services; staff identified the funding source as recording fees used for housing/homeless interventions but did not cite a specific statute.

During a question-and-answer period, commissioners asked how many people the shelter serves, the typical length of stay and how the county money is used. An Emergency Support Shelter advocate said the shelter can house up to eight families at a time and that stays are generally short-term, up to 90 days. The advocate cited 2024 data showing the agency served more than 100 individuals in about 61 households in a one-year period. On per-family costs, staff estimated a roughly $1,500 average cost for a 90-day stay for a single adult, and said operational costs (utilities, supplies and basic needs) vary by family size and need. The contract allows up to 10% for administrative costs under the grant funding for this agreement.

A commissioner asked why the county issues proclamations; another commissioner and the shelter representative said a signed proclamation amplifies awareness and brings the county’s platform to the shelter’s outreach. The board approved the proclamation and later unanimously approved the shelter contract. The contract will be for one year and will be executed by county staff.

The meeting agenda also included other contracts and homelessness-related items discussed later in the session, including coordinated entry contracts and a separate contract for case management at the Phoenix House program; those items were discussed and voted on during the same meeting.