Council briefed on Encampment Resolution Program grants, New Roots operator selection and navigation center operations

The committee received a series of briefings on homelessness response resources: a proposed grant contract with the Washington State Department of Commerce for Encampment Resolution Program (ERP) funds, a recommendation to select Compassionate Addiction Treatment (CAT) as the New Roots village operator, a requested three‑month extension of existing scattered‑site contracts and an operational update on the city’s newly opened Navigation Center.

ERP grant and grantees: Carrie (CHHS presenter) said the ERP funds will support coordinated, housing‑focused encampment responses on public property and will be administered by the city if authorized. Staff outlined grantee recipients and service types: Catalyst (Catholic Charities) will operate temporary housing with on‑site services; Revive will operate 35 emergency beds and 22 permanent housing units with supports; Catholic Housing Communities will operate 25 permanent housing units at a specified site; and New Roots tiny home village will provide temporary spaces. CHHS staff said the city will retain about 9% of the award for administration — below the 15% maximum allowable rate — and agreed to follow up with additional budget detail when requested.

New Roots operator selection: Ariel Anderson said the CHHS RFP committee recommended Compassionate Addiction Treatment (CAT) to operate the New Roots Village. The total braided funding for the New Roots project was described as roughly $977,000, with funds coming from ERP and opioid‑related funding streams. Anderson said the New Roots operation will follow a closed referral pipeline and that providers will prioritize placements appropriate for the operation model; the start date will be contingent on the operator completing permitting and site preparations.

Scattered‑site contract extension: CHHS staff asked council to authorize a three‑month extension of current scattered‑site contracts (covering October 1 to December 31) to bridge operations while a new RFP is evaluated. Staff said procurement timelines prevented absorbing the contracts without an exemption and that the RFP was posted and closed.

Navigation Center operations update: Julie (navigation center) reported early operational data from the city’s navigation center, which opened weeks earlier. She said the first week was a soft opening and that once Catholic Charities began operating intake services the facility approached capacity daily. Julie reported facility metrics for the initial period: "In our first week... we had 672 guests enter our facility and asked for services, a 147 showers, and 19 individuals were already connected to the shelter placement on the navigation support." She said providers are delivering services on site and that transportation and cleanup crews are coordinating to move individuals into appropriate placements. Staff said the navigation center serves as an assessment hub to identify appropriate next steps rather than operating as a long‑term shelter.

Why it matters: The ERP funds and New Roots operator selection are intended to expand temporary and permanent housing capacity for people relocated from encampments on public property; staff stressed that placement timelines depend on available housing and successful permitting and contracting.

Follow‑up: Council members asked CHHS for more detail on administrative fees retained by the city, the closed referral pathway for New Roots, clarifications about the target populations for New Roots, and a start‑date estimate tied to permitting milestones. Staff agreed to provide additional financial and operational information and confirm timelines for New Roots and scattered‑site operations.