Lacey human-services update: 2024 grants nearly spent, needs assessment spots transportation and senior services; CDBG projects eyed

Lacey — The City of Lacey Human Services Commission on Nov. 6 heard that the city nearly exhausted its 2024 human-services grant funds, is rolling out 2025 contracts, and is using a new needs assessment to target priorities such as transportation, senior services and access to information.

Michelle (staff member) told the commission that 2024 grantees have spent about 96% of the award pool and that the city expects to finish final invoicing soon. She highlighted specific recipients: "We have a thank you letter from Grub, which is the Garden Rebound nonprofit. They did receive $6,000," she said, and she cited Interfaith Works and Habitat for Humanity South Puget Sound among returning partners.

The commission was also briefed on a needs assessment launched in 2024 that includes an online survey and three focus groups so far. "We had 159 participants," Michelle said, noting survey versions in English and Korean and narrative responses included in the packet. Staff summarized the assessment's headline findings: top community barriers were money, transportation, child care and language; top community needs were health care, housing, financial assistance, employment and training. On the household level, respondents prioritized preventative and emergency health care, older-adult services and low- or no-cost legal help.

Michelle told commissioners that focus-group feedback emphasized difficulty finding information about available services, a desire for more youth outreach through schools and gaps in local mental-health and substance-abuse emergency services. She said senior services and a veterans hub received positive user feedback and that participants suggested expanding youth and older-adult programming.

Commission discussion linked the needs-assessment results to draft CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) spending plans. Staff reported the city had received approval for its consolidated plan and action plan and submitted a signed grant agreement to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). "We are evaluating our capital projects — potential capital projects to spend that $3.43 $3.93 that we have been allocated directly from HUD now," Michelle said (the transcript lists both figures; the precise allocation amount was not specified in the meeting packet).

Explaining a short-term strategy, staff said city-managed capital projects can be executed faster and reduce some risks tied to subrecipient grants. Potential projects under active consideration include expanding the parking lot at the Lacey Senior Center, sidewalk improvements at Huntermore Park to serve low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and other ADA sidewalk upgrades. Staff noted environmental reviews and HUD approvals are required before drawing funds.

Commissioners asked about aligning CDBG projects with existing public-works plans and noted prior pedestrian-and-bike studies could help prioritize sidewalk locations. Staff said they would return with cost estimates, maps of low- and moderate-income benefit areas, and recommendations before the commission forwards any projects to the City Council.

Ending: Staff said (and later confirmed) that additional focus groups and site visits will occur into early 2026 and that the draft needs-assessment report and any recommended changes to grant policies, application materials and score sheets will be presented to the commission in the spring so the city can refine the 2026 funding process.