Tumwater committee directs RFP for housing feasibility study to map pathways to 184 emergency beds and 723 supportive units

TUMWATER, Wash. — At its Feb. 11, 2026 meeting the Tumwater General Government Committee directed staff to issue a request for proposals for a feasibility study on emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing.

City staff told the committee the study would translate policies in the city's adopted housing element into “decision‑ready” implementation scenarios, including cost, risk and benefit comparisons, facility scale options, funding pathway analyses and a sequencing roadmap. “We plan under the Growth Management Act, and we are allowed to update our comp plan only once per year,” a staff member said while outlining the scope for the proposed RFP and the categories of questions the consultant could address.

Committee members stressed the need to focus on funding and implementation readiness. The staff presentation noted Tumwater’s adopted 20‑year targets: 184 emergency housing beds and 723 permanent supportive housing units. “This is our portion over the next 20 years,” a committee member said during discussion of near‑term actions the study should prioritize.

Staff and members discussed the regional context: Tumwater contributes to a regional funding pool through the Regional Housing Council and many services and shelters are provided elsewhere in Thurston County, particularly in Olympia. Staff said Point‑in‑Time counts can undercount people and that the study would attempt to gather provider data and regional comparisons to estimate local need.

Committee members also sought clarity on cost and procurement. Staff said a budgeted amount exists for a consultant and that director‑level contracting authority can approve contracts up to $100,000; larger or follow‑on budget decisions would return to the full council for approval. The committee requested a briefing for council member Sullivan, the city's representative on the Regional Housing Council, before the RFP launch.

The committee’s direction allows staff to prepare an RFP, solicit bids and report back with findings and recommendations in the fall. The study is intended to identify feasible, incremental pathways — for example, a mix of referring emergency bed needs regionally while investing in transitional or permanent supportive housing locally over time.

Next steps: staff will brief council member Sullivan, issue the RFP, evaluate proposals and return to the General Government Committee and city council with the consultant’s findings and recommended implementation options.