Resident alleges misuse of eviction-prevention funds; county manager outlines monitoring and contract termination timeline

A Thurston County resident told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 19 that she believes contractors used eviction-prevention rental assistance funds improperly, and asked the board to publish audit material and take remedial steps. County Manager Leonard Hernandez responded with a timeline of the county’s fiscal monitoring of the Partners in Prevention Education (PIPE) eviction-prevention program and said the county and PIPE mutually agreed to terminate the contract in April 2025.

The charges matter because the county administers and oversees programs intended to prevent homelessness and protect public dollars. If true, the allegations would potentially affect local programs, contractors and clients served by rental assistance funding.

“My name is Taulana Reed, and I live in Thurston County,” said Taulana Reed during public comment. Reed alleged that the PIPE program “permitted contractors to bilk the county for hundreds of thousands of dollars in ineligible expenses,” and said she has reported those concerns through…