State ‘Buys’ 13 Properties for Shelters, Rejects B-F Mental Health Center

Thursday, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced $50 plus million has been allocated to acquire 13 properties to help with low-income housing and shelters.

  However, data shows a request to help fund the new Tri-City Mental Health center was rejected.

According to the DOC:

"The Washington Department of Commerce announced approximately $50.6 million in grants to 13 affordable housing projects throughout the state. This second round of funding through the state’s 2022 Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition program will create 214 affordable units and 70 beds of housing for people in Washington who are currently homeless or at high risk of homelessness across ten counties."

An interactive map shows aside from one project in Spokane, the rest of the funding is on the west side.

The RHCA program is designed, according to DOC:

 (the program)..."provides funding to acquire real property for rapid conversion into enhanced emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, permanent housing, youth housing or shelter for people with extremely low incomes and people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Washington state."

A request was made in 2022 for just over $4.4 million in funding to help with the Three Rivers Mental Health Treatment and Recovery center being built in the old Kennewick General Hospital (Trios) Building at 900 S. Auburn in Kennewick. The DOC map shows the status of the request in red, and says "declined 2022."  No additional details are given via the map.

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Benton County is taking the lead, having acquired the building from Trios and its parent company and business affiliates. It is hoped the center will be operational at least by 2025.