Pierce County Council approves $12.2 million in NOFA awards for affordable rental housing outside Tacoma

Pierce County Council members voted 7-0 Tuesday to accept the executiveranchunding recommendations from the county epartment of Human Services and authorize the release of $12,200,000 from the county epartmentund called the Housing and Related Services Fund for affordable rental housing projects.

The approvals implement awards from the March 2025 notice of funds availability (NOFA). Mary Connolly, council staff, summarized the program and said the NOFA solicited roughly $12.2 million and that 10 eligible applications requested about $33 million; an evaluation committee recommended funding four projects for the $12.2 million available.

The nut graf: the spending implements the countyouncil
nd Executive irection to use revenues from a county sales-and-use tax enacted in 2023 to develop and preserve rental housing for households at varying income levels. The county
dopted an expenditure and implementation plan in March 2024 that guides how the fund is used.

Most important facts: Connolly listed the recommended awards in the motion packet. McDonald Lab Development is recommended for $7,000,000 toward Cedar Flats, a project in unincorporated Pierce County between South Hill and Frederickson that the staff packet says would include new three- and four-bedroom affordable units. The Pierce County Housing Authority is recommended for $5,000,000 to refinance and rehabilitate Chateau Rainier in the city of Fife. The Foundation for the Challenged is recommended for about $167,000 to acquire and rehabilitate three single-family houses (9 bedrooms total) in the Buckley area to operate as group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. McDonald Lab Development is also recommended for about $70,000 for the Fairway at DuPont project, which the packet describes as new affordable units in DuPont.

Council members and staff emphasized process and conditions. Connolly told the council the awards were made under authority created by the ordinance commonly called the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, adopted in 2023, and that the funding was deposited in the Housing and Related Services Fund as allowed by state law cited in the packet. Human Services staff and an application evaluation committee reviewed and prioritized proposals; the County Executive approved those recommendations before transmittal to the council. Brian Schmidt, affordable housing supervisor with Human Services, was available online for technical questions.

Council member Denson asked whether the action had a fiscal impact; Connolly answered that the money had already been allocated in the adopted 2024-25 biennial budget, so approving the resolution did not require additional appropriations and was considered de minimis. When asked whether the units would be permanently affordable, Schmidt said the properties would be subject to deed restrictions and covenants for a minimum of 50 years.

Public comment was invited at the hearing on this proposal; no members of the public testified in chambers or online. Council member Morrell said the awards addressed the need for affordable housing in unincorporated areas and thanked staff and applicants.

Ending: the resolution (R2025-184) was adopted by roll call and the council directed staff to proceed with the agreements and any necessary conditions described in the award documents.

(Quotes used only from speakers listed below and attributed.)