Top Olympian stories that you may have missed for April 22, 2026

Here are the top stories from The Olympian on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, covering housing, city infrastructure and unemployment across the region.

Here are key takeaways:

• Tiny home village at risk: Olympia’s Quince Street Village, which houses about 100 people and costs $1.7 million a year to operate, faces an uncertain future after the state cut funding for Thurston County homeless response projects. The Board of County Commissioners approved a $440,000 stopgap contract to keep the village open through June 30, but long-term funding has yet to be determined.

• Electrifying city buildings could cost $98 million: Olympia officials say upgrading and electrifying 15 city buildings to meet a 2040 net-zero goal would cost $97.6 million — roughly $7.5 million annually over 13 years. City Manager Jay Burney said Olympia would likely need voter-approved funding to cover the costs, as the city lacks the budget capacity on its own.

• Washington unemployment rises: The state’s unemployment rate climbed to 5.1% in February, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase. One county saw a jump to 6.1%.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Top Olympian stories that you may have missed for April 22, 2026."