Questions dominate Lacey Days Inn meeting, including: Will it allow sex offenders?
Washington state, Thurston County and Lacey officials gathered for two public meetings on Wednesday, both of them focused on providing information about a future homeless shelter in the city.
Those same officials are also part of what is known as the state’s rights-of-way initiative, an effort to clear people from homeless camps along I-5 and get them into housing.
The initiative announced this month a plan to convert the Lacey hotel at 8200 Quinault Drive NE into a shelter and later permanent supportive housing for the homeless.
Thurston County received $37 million from the state’s rights-of-way program, of which $20 million will be used for the hotel acquisition and site setup. An additional $4 million will be used for two years of site operations. The Low Income Housing Institute will operate the Days Inn shelter 24/7 and will provide on-site case management to help residents obtain permanent housing, employment, health care and other services.
The shelter near the Marvin Road exit from I-5 is expected to open in spring 2023.
About 20 people attended the first meeting on Wednesday. They heard an overview of the project, then spent about an hour asking questions of the panelists.
Some of the questions that were asked:
Q: Will the homeless residents who are currently staying at the hotel have to leave by Dec. 24?
A: “We are aware of what they have been told and we are working on a strategy to keep them in place so they will not be moved,” said Lacey Community and Economic Development Director Rick Walk. Those already living there will be prioritized first, followed by those living in camps along I-5, followed by those identified through the Thurston County coordinated entry system, he added.
Q: What public impacts can we expect to see when the shelter opens?
A: Shelters run by the Low Income Housing Institute typically don’t produce a lot of complaints, said Josh Castle, who works in community engagement for LIHI.
“The reason is that it starts with the vetting process and the code of conduct,” he said. “Residents know they need to do chores and work with case managers; they can’t just come there and hang out. They have to work on a future plan.”
He added that no loitering is allowed and residents are asked to be respectful of the surrounding neighborhood because “we know there’s a lot of scrutiny on these programs and sites.” Residents also will receive three meals a day, so they don’t have to worry about food security, Castle said.
Q: Olympic View Elementary is nearby. Was that considered before the site was selected?
A: “We just haven’t had any issues with schools telling us that there was a problem with a shelter,” said Castle, adding that they bring school officials onto the community advisory groups, which typically results in kids making welcome baskets or doing fundraising drives for the residents.
“We work closely with schools and we enforce the code of conduct,” he said.
The Days Inn is on Quinault Drive near Marvin Road. Lacey Community and Economic Development Director Walk pointed out that Olympic View Elementary is on the other side of Walmart, west of the Days Inn. “There is not a direct connection between the two sites,” he said.
Q: Will any of the rooms be set aside for couples?
A: Individuals, couples and those with pets.
Q: Will sex offenders be allowed?
A: “We are not allowing sex offenders, but it doesn’t mean that we are not allowing folks who have criminal convictions on their record,” Castle said. “We know that people who struggle to find housing and work is because they have a criminal record. That’s precisely why we want to serve them in this program to help get that warrant off their record, resolving whatever that is, because we know they won’t be able to get into a lot of traditional housing.”
Q: Will those charged or convicted of a violent crime or domestic violence be eligible for this facility?
A: “Unless they present some clear safety risk to the residents, yes,” said Castle.
Castle made clear during the meeting that the code of conduct does not tolerate violent or threatening behavior, no alcohol or drugs in public spaces and there are cleanliness standards for the shelter.
“We are committed to being a good neighbor,” he said.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
