Low Barrier Family Shelter

Pierce County (hereafter referred to as “the County”) is seeking proposals to provide low-barrier emergency shelter for families with minor children experiencing homelessness. Funding will support emergency shelter operations, including congregate, non-congregate, and hotel/motel shelter models, as well as housing assistance designed to help families quickly exit shelter and return to permanent housing.

Approximately $2.5 million is available for this procurement. At this time, the County anticipates allocating approximately $1.25 million for shelter operations and approximately $1.25 million for housing assistance to rapidly exit families from shelter and decrease barriers to permanent housing solutions.

Projects must serve households with minor children who meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of experiencing homelessness. The County is particularly interested in proposals that expand family shelter capacity in geographically underserved areas of Pierce County, especially outside the City of Tacoma.

Funded providers will be required to coordinate with the Shelter Access Hub, connect shelter participants to Coordinated Entry, participate in the annual Point-in-Time Count, and coordinate with Pierce County Human Services during inclement weather activations.

This funding opportunity supports Pierce County's efforts to ensure that families experiencing homelessness have immediate access to shelter and pathways to permanent housing.

In July 2026, Pierce County updated its Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness, ( Pierce County 2025-2030 Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness ), which documents the scale of homelessness in the county and establishes a framework for creating a homeless response system capable of achieving functional zero. Functional zero is defined as a state in which any person experiencing a new episode of homelessness has immediate access to shelter and an appropriate permanent housing intervention.

The CPEH outlines eight goals:

1. 1. Promote an equitable, accountable, and transparent homeless crisis response system.
   2. Prioritize assistance based on the greatest barriers to housing stability and the greatest risk of harm while ensuring interventions are effective for all populations.
   3. Prevent homelessness whenever possible.
   4. Ensure adjacent systems address the needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
   5. Meet the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness.
   6. Expand the permanent housing system to meet community need.
   7. Strengthen the homeless services workforce.
   8. Seek to house everyone in a stable setting that meets their needs.

This funding opportunity directly supports Goal 5.