The City of Lacey and Thurston County are teaming up to pump $24 million into a crime-ridden Days Inn. The goal is to utilize those funds from the Department of Commerce to transform the property into a shelter space. The newly renovated space, run by the Low Income Housing Institute, is set to open Wednesday.
Rick Walk, Lacey’s Interim City Manager, says the property has a problematic history. He claims authorities responded to roughly four-hundred incidents within a single year there.
“We didn’t purchase it without caution,” said Walk. “This is a big milestone for this region.”
The city partnered with the Washington State Department of Commerce and Thurston County for the project funded by the State’s Rights of Way Initiative. Individuals living outdoors alongside I-5 and state highways will receive priority. The plan is to move in ten people a week. The renovation is ongoing, but when it’s all done the building can offer 118 fully furnished rooms.
“Not everybody is going to accept this as an offer,” said Walk. “These are people that are recovering from addiction so it takes time and there’s going to be setbacks.”
Of the $24 million investment: $15 million was used to acquire the former Days Inn, $5 million to rehabilitate the property, and $4 million to run the place for the next two years.
The Low Income Housing Institute will have staff on-site 24/7. Temporary residents will have access to case managers who can assist with housing navigation support, employment search, and referrals to education and health resources. The facility has a no-public drug use policy and will conduct weekly-room checks.
©2023 Cox Media Group
