County staff recommend negotiating contract with Shelter Works to run winter single-adult shelter

County housing staff told commissioners on Nov. 3 that the county issued a request for proposals for a single-adult overnight emergency shelter (up to 35 beds with scaling for severe weather) and received one application from a new agency called Shelter Works.

The Housing and Behavioral Health Advisory Board reviewed the application and recommended that the Board of Commissioners authorize staff to meet with Shelter Works to develop a contract. Staff emphasized that because Shelter Works is a new agency the county had not previously contracted with its board members and that the proposer intends to rent an existing building owned by Community Lifeline, which carries a conditional-use permit that staff said follows the building rather than a single operator.

Staff reported the RFP release amount as $149,744 and that the Shelter Works proposal calculated a monthly expense that would total about $154,025; Shelter Works stated in its application that it planned to braid additional funding sources but did not provide details. Housing staff said the county has a fund reserve intended as backup and that the difference could be covered from existing reserves if necessary.

Commissioners expressed general support for proceeding to a contract and asked that city officials be kept informed and that staff return with a contract for board review; staff said they expect to present a proposed contract in the coming one-to-two weeks. No formal contract was approved at the briefing.

Staff also offered to arrange a meeting so commissioners could meet Shelter Works representatives before the contract is finalized.