Maple Court Enhanced Shelter

Enhanced Shelter Now Open in Lacey

The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) celebrated the opening of Maple Court on July 5. Governor Jay Inslee and the Lacey City Council participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Read the full press release.

2022 Community Meetings

Thank you to everyone who attended/watched our Community Meetings about the 8200 Quinault Hotel Enhanced Shelter on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.

If you were unable to attend, you can watch the replays below. You can also review the presentation materials:

3 p.m. Community Meeting

6 p.m. Community Meeting

New Enhanced Shelter to Provide Safe Alternative for People Living Outside. Will Be Converted Into Permanent Supportive Housing Later.

The Washington State Department of Commerce, Thurston County, and the City of Lacey are partnering with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) in converting a Lacey hotel, located at 8200 Quinault Dr. NE, Lacey, WA 98516, into an enhanced shelter to provide heated units, safety, and community for individuals and couples currently living unsheltered in the Thurston County region. This project was funded by the State’s Rights of Way initiative, which is “a targeted grant program to transition persons residing on state-owned rights-of-way to safer housing opportunities, with an emphasis on permanent supportive housing solutions.” The Thurston County region received $37 million from this program, of which $20 million will be used for the hotel acquisition and site activation. An additional $4 million will be used for two years of site operations. The remaining $13 million will be used for a variety of programming and services for the unhoused, including the development of a 50-unit tiny village off Franz-Anderson in Olympia.

LIHI will operate the shelter 24/7 and will provide on-site case management to help residents obtain permanent housing, employment, health care, and other services. The Lacey hotel will be converted over time into affordable permanent supportive housing. LIHI is a 31 year non-profit affordable housing provider with over 3,000 units of permanent housing across the region including in Olympia (Billy Frank Jr. Place and Unity Commons). LIHI also operates Plum Street Village in Olympia and 16 other tiny house villages in Tacoma, Tukwila, Skyway, Seattle and Bellingham, along with two enhanced shelters in Tacoma and Seattle. See LIHI’s website for more information.

The Enhanced Shelter Will Include:

118 fully furnished rooms for residents and 6 rooms for staff and case-management offices.
Facility will be fully enclosed with fencing.
24/7 on-site staff including operations, security, and case management.
Code of Conduct residents are required to agree to that include: no drugs or alcohol within public spaces, no violent/threatening behaviors, safety and cleanliness standards, and required to work with on-site case management.
On-site services including housing navigation support, employment search, and referrals to education and health resources.
Resource room with computers to help residents search for housing, employment, and more.
Community gathering, kitchen and laundry facilities.
Hot meals delivered daily.
Building-wide WiFi.
Community Advisory Group with neighbors and businesses.
Hotel acquisition and operations funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Who Will Live Here?

This enhanced shelter program will serve people experiencing homelessness in the Lacey region including individuals, couples, and people with pets. This includes seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities, and does not include individuals under the age of 18. Individuals will be prioritized by:
1) Persons currently residing at the property
2) Persons living in the state’s right-of-way only in Thurston County
3) Single adults identified through the Thurston County Coordinated Entry system
4) Single adults living in City of Lacey and/or Thurston County that are displaced from an unsheltered encampment who are not on the Thurston County Coordinated Entry Master List
5) Other agreed upon populations when space is available.

Are There Rules?

Residents will be required to agree to a Code of Conduct as a condition of staying at the site. This includes common standards for living successfully in a community and to ensure respect of fellow residents, surrounding neighbors and businesses. The Code of Conduct prohibits alcohol and drugs within public spaces, prohibits violent/threatening behaviors and requires safety and cleanliness standards. It requires residents to work with onsite case management and includes a six month goal to find permanent or long-term housing.

Will Services Be Available?

24/7 on-site staff will provide day-to-day management of the site. Each resident is required to meet with their case manager to access services including housing navigation, help with employment, healthcare, and more. The goal of the program is for case managers to help each resident secure stable, long-term housing as quickly as possible.

What’s the Long-term Plan?

The site will be opened as an enhanced shelter and is planned to be converted over time into affordable permanent supportive housing.

Who Do I Call if I Have a Question or Concern?

The enhanced shelter is committed to being a good neighbor. While the site is being set up, you can contact Josh Castle at josh.castle@lihi.org or (206) 334-0508. Once the site has opened for residents, there will be a phone number and email to reach an on-site manager.

Will There be On-going Community Input?

A Community Advisory Group (CAG) will be formed of neighborhood and local business stakeholders to provide community oversight, advisory input to staff on operations and services, and support. The CAG will meet monthly and members will include representatives from immediate neighbors, local businesses and organizations, community and faith groups, service providers, and others. All meetings are open to the public. If you would like to become a member and serve on the CAG or receive information on the meetings, contact Josh Castle at josh.castle@lihi.org. For more information visit LIHI’s website.

How Can I Help?

There are many opportunities to volunteer, both in set up and supporting residents upon move-in, and to donate much needed items to support residents as they work towards securing permanent housing. Neighbors and local businesses often make a significant difference in improving lives. If you would like to volunteer or donate items, contact Josh Castle at josh.castle@lihi.org or (206) 334-0508. Once the site opens, there will be a phone number and email to reach on-site staff.

Click here to view the above information in pdf format.