Tacoma officials outline contingency plan as state shelter funding remains uncertain

Tacoma city staff told the Neighborhood and Community Services committee on a briefing that the city is operating temporary and emergency shelter sites with $3,000,000 in state funds through June 2025 but faces uncertainty about continued operations because the state budget and grant process have not been finalized. Katie Johnston, interim director of Neighborhood and Community Services, said the city has been working with the Washington State Department of Commerce but that "we don't know the amount and the timing of those funds," and so cannot guarantee extensions beyond June 30.

The briefing laid out immediate operational and contingency steps and described shelters that have already stood down. Caleb Carbona, the city's homeless strategy, systems and service program manager, said the city has "stood down 4 shelters" to date and is using those experiences to shape any future transitions. Carbona told committee members the city is planning for a client-centered stand-down process that includes on-site case management, referrals, and coordination with providers and property owners to decommission sites when residents are transitioned out.

Why it matters: city staff said the state legislature included nearly $58.8 million in a supplemental package intended to sustain shelter projects statewide, and the City of Tacoma submitted an internal request for $12,000,000 to sustain shelter operations. Staff described several distinct funding unknowns: whether the governor will sign the budget, the Commerce Department's grant allocation rules and schedule,…