The County is seeking proposals to operate a Shelter Access Hub (Hub), which provides shelter placement services and supportive services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.Launched in April 2024 with one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Shelter Access Hub is a critical initiative designed to address homelessness by ensuring continuous access to emergency shelter. The Hub operates around the clock to assist individuals and families in crisis, both in person and virtually. Since its inception, the Shelter Access Hub has filled a vital gap in Pierce County’s homelessness crisis response system.

In March 2022, Pierce County officially adopted the Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness (CPEH) that aims to document the scale of the need and design a system to prevent and end homelessness in Pierce County. The CPEH Plan is designed to achieve “functional zero” – a state where any person starting a new episode of homelessness has immediate access to shelter and a permanent housing intervention. The CPEH outlines the following six goals:1. Create a unified homeless system2. Ensure programs are effective for all populations3. Prevent homelessness4. Ensure adjacent systems address needs of people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness5. Meet immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness6. Expand the permanent housing system to meet the needThis funding opportunity is in direct support of the CPEH Goal 5 – Meet immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness.