Pierce County pitches voluntary regional homelessness 'URRA'; Lakewood asked to consider joining

Pierce County Council Chair Janie Hitchen and Pierce County Council staff member Mary Connelly told Lakewood City Council members at a June 8 study session that the county has designed a voluntary Unified Regional Approach to homelessness (URRA) intended to create a coordinated, locally responsive homeless crisis system across Pierce County.

Connelly said the Pierce County homeless response system served more than 8,700 people in 2025, including “over 500 veterans, over 1,800 children under the age of 18, and over 900 people 60 years or older,” and argued those numbers show the countywide scope of the problem and the need for shared systems.

The URRA design laid out to the council would be implemented through an interlocal agreement rather than a separate legal entity, with Pierce County serving as the administering organization and employer for URRA staff. Connelly summarized the proposed first-year staffing and budget: “For the first one to three years, the annual budget is expected to be about $400 to $600,000 and that would primarily support employment of two to three staff.” She said jurisdictions’ contributions would be scaled by population; Lakewood’s early estimated contribution was cited at roughly $27,000–$45,000 annually, subject to ILA negotiation.

Hitchen emphasized local control and distinguished URRA from King County’s regional authority: “We aren’t building that… Pierce County is not King County,” she said, adding that URRA’s role is coordination, technical assistance and countywide data sharing rather than centrally running all services. Connelly and Hitchen described examples URRA staff could support, from helping design local safe-parking partnerships to aligning funding timelines or supporting mobile hygiene services in smaller jurisdictions.

Lakewood council members pressed on key implementation points. They asked whether jurisdictions could offer higher-barrier, locally controlled shelters and were told funding sources often constrain allowable program models but local choices would remain possible. Members asked about performance measures and exit clauses for jurisdictions; Connelly said such provisions are typically written into interlocal agreements and that the county’s updated comprehensive plan will establish baselines and measurable targets to guide performance monitoring.

Connelly outlined immediate next steps: jurisdictions interested in joining would be asked to adopt a resolution of intent that (a) signals commitment to work toward a URRA ILA, (b) directs staff to begin drafting an ILA, and (c) commits to several initial coordinated activities (HMIS data alignment for service providers, clearer procedures to connect residents to county resources, and inclement-weather resource policies). She noted Pierce County has already adopted the resolution and that the roadshow to other jurisdictions is underway.

Council members who spoke said they saw potential value in cooperating regionally while preserving local decision-making. Several urged the county to define clear performance metrics and an orderly exit process for jurisdictions that might later choose to withdraw. Presenters offered to supply additional examples from comparable Washington jurisdictions and to return with more detailed materials if the council requested them.

The URRA presentation ran from the start of the session through its first major block of discussion; county staff left a template resolution and one-pager in the council packet and invited follow-up questions. The council did not take immediate action at the June 8 study session; presenters said they are continuing outreach with jurisdictions and expect additional councils to consider the resolution of intent in the coming weeks.