Housing
We believe everyone should have a safe, affordable place to live and call home. We believe all families deserve to be warm, healthy, and housed.
Affordable Housing
In order to improve the quality of life in our community, we continue to play a key role as a provider of Affordable Housing in our service area. Working with multiple jurisdictions, we strive to increase the number of affordable housing opportunities in our community. In the past years we have housed over 692 people in 375 units.
About The Program
As a whole, we continuously strive to assist as many people as we can. Through the Affordable housing program, the Community Action Council served approximately 700 individuals in the past three years. In addition to this, over 275 people were helped with rental assistance funds. With the addition of our Salmon Run property, which we opened in November of 2012, we have 382 housing units available for rent.
Partnerships
The Council works in partnership with local jurisdictions and communities in the development of rental assistance programs, including:
- Housing Authority of Thurston County
- Community Youth Services
- SafePlace
- Behavioral Health Resources (BHR)
- Family Support Center
The Council also works in partnership with the State of Washington, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), private developers, and all local jurisdictions where funding is available to further develop and rehabilitate affordable housing.
Community Action Council Properties
| Property | Location | Contact Information |
| Ashford House I & II | Belfair | Steve & Loretta Hills – (360) 275-1400 |
| Deschutes Cove | Olympia | Tona Miller – (360) 753-5813 |
| Diamond Street | Lacey | |
| Killion Court | Yelm | Leslie Norris – (360) 458-2661 |
| Montesano Harbor | Elma | Barbara Courneya – (360) 249-5103 |
| Montesano Harbor Annex | Elma | Barbara Courneya – (360) 249-5103 |
| Praire Run | Yelm | Richard Gleason – (360) 400-0567 |
| Saratoga Springs | Shelton | Sherri Collins – (360) 427-7033 |
| Tilton River | Morton | Kacy Reed – (360) 496-1971 |
| Tolmie Cove | Olympia | Glenda Crawford – (360) 491-7907 |
| Virginia Station | Centralia | Mandy Page – (360) 736-7864 |
Care Coordination (Pathways)
Through the Pathways Program, our Care Coordinators work with clients to access support services. Focusing on service navigation, referrals, and education to ease the process of accessing care and support. This program enables a Care Coordinator to work with clients on multiple focuses at the same time, to build confidence and know-how, with a goal of self-sufficiency.
Eligibility Requirements
Our priority population include those that can answer yes to all three of these questions:
- Do you have a behavioral health concern?
- Mental Health
- Substance Use
- Is there an additional concern?
- Pregnancy
- Chronic disease
- Co-occurring behavioral health
- Are there other risk factors?
- Housing insecurity
- Recent release from Hospital
- Frequent need to use 911
How to Enroll
To enroll in support services please call:
Thurston: (360)438-1100 ext: 1137
Lewis: (360)438-1100 ext: 4103
Mason: (360)438-1100 ext: 3106
City of Lacey COVID Relief Fund
Appointments still available!! Call (360) 438-1100 ext. 5020
City of Lacey COVID Relief Fund is a partnership between Community Action Council (CAC) and the City of Lacey to support Lacey residents impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. The City has allocated funding to support residents with rental/mortgage assistance, water/sewer assistance, WIFI assistance, and childcare.
Each household is encouraged to contact CAC to determine eligibility. You will be asked about your household income, your household need, and information regarding the vendor to be paid on your household’s behalf.
Eligibility:
- City of Lacey Resident (within the City limits of Lacey)
- Household income approximately 60% of the Area Median Income over the last 30 days
- Impacted by the COVID19 pandemic
You may schedule an appointment by calling our (360) 438-1100 ext. 5020 All appointments are over the phone as the CAC offices are closed to the public at this time.
Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry is the process by which people experiencing homelessness are given access to housing and assistance based on their level of need and resources available. The Coordinated Entry system reduces the number of people entering into homelessness by offering prevention and diversion resources, and our Coordinated Entry Specialist matches single individuals to appropriate programs and resources as space becomes available.
Eligibility:
- Single adult or a couple without dependent children experiencing homelessness.
- Veterans experiencing homelessness.
You may schedule an appointment by calling our Coordinated Entry Hotline 1.844.628.7343.
Energy Assistance
Our Energy Assistance program believes in providing equitable, confidential, and reliable energy assistance services to low-income families and individuals. Through the federally funded LIHEAP program, we provided energy assistance to over 4,391 households. We distributed over $2 million to help residents cover their gas, electricity, oil, wood, or propane bills.
About the Program
LIHEAP, a federally funded program, assists residents with their gas, electricity, oil, wood, and propane costs
Puget Sound Energy HELP provides assistance with the cost of natural gas and electricity consumption to qualified PSE customers—with an account in their name or in the name of a member of the household
The program begins in the fall and continues until all funds are committed. Due to limited funding, we are unable to serve everyone who is in need of these services, so do not hesitate to call if you believe you may be eligible. See eligibility requirements below.
Program Updates
Lewis, Mason, and Thurston County are scheduling normal Energy Assistance appointments. Emergency appointments may be available for those without heat of any kind but certain restrictions do apply. To schedule an appointment, please use our online scheduler, or dial (360) 438-1100 and speak with an Energy Assistance staff member.
See below for the CACLMT office phone numbers:
Thurston County: (360) 438-1100
Mason County: (360) 426-9726
Lewis County: (360) 736-1800
If you are without heat of any kind, please call our agency to see if there are available emergency appointments.
Eligibility
Those who are low-income and need assistance paying their energy bill are eligible to receive this service.
To further determine eligibility we look at:
- Household Size
- Income
- Heat Source
- Previous year’s energy usage
See below if your household may be income eligible for heating assistance through the LIHEAP programs or income eligible for assistance through the PSE-HELP program.
Making An Appointment
Our policy is to make appointments over the phone or through our website scheduler. To be fair in applying, we do not accept requests for appointments by email, voicemail, or fax. Due to the high volume of people in need trying to access these services, it is imperative to process all applicants fairly and equally. Please remember appointments are made on a first come, first served basis.
+ Note that our phone lines become extremely busy when we first start scheduling appointments due to the large volume of people calling in. The phone lines are consistently in use during this process.
- Calls are processed in the order they are received to the best of our system’s capabilities.
- Please show patience, as well as persistence, when calling to schedule.
- When you are on HOLD, please do not hang up– as you will lose your spot in line to speak to a representative.
- It is not uncommon to experience HOLD times of 15-20 minutes, sometimes longer.
We strongly encourage people not to give up calling if there is a busy signal; eventually, you can get through.
To schedule an appointment, please call on one of our opening dates and have the following ready:
- Pen and paper
- Electric and/or natural gas account number
- Last 4 digits of the social security number of whomever is scheduling the appointment
- Physical/residential address
- Gross household income for three previous months
What Do I Need to Bring to My Appointment
NOTE: due to the pandemic, all applications are being handled via mail, and we are not conducting any in-office appointments. Please call 360.438.1100 if you have further questions.
- Social Security cards for everyone in the home. This includes children who are one to seventeen years old. (Please Note: Infants who are under that age of one do not need Social Security cards)
- Current (Non-Expired) Photo Identification
- Address Verification
- Verification of all sources of income/monies received by every household member for the three previous months from the time of your appointment. For example, if your appointment date is in July, please bring in April, May, and June verification.
- A current heat bill or proof of your heat source. If your heat source is propane, oil, pellets, or firewood and you do not have a vendor who provides you with a bill go to: Forms à Energy à and use the Heat Source Statement for proof of heat source.
- Qualified Alien Documentation to receive Federal services and benefits, if applicable.
 |
We cannot use previously submitted documentation to qualify clients for a benefit, including Social Security cards and drivers licenses. Please bring all required documentation at the time of your appointment. |
* Anyone with zero ‘0’ income and who is 18 or older is required to complete paperwork explaining how he/she paid for food, shelter, and heat at the time of appointment
** If you are a student, your Financial Aid award letter is required.
Eviction Rent Assistance Programs
UPDATE: We will be opening for scheduling rent assistance appointments on Wednesday, April 7th at 8:00am. Click on the house icon on the front page when the scheduler is live to make an appointment online (this is the best way to make an appointment). Phone scheduling is also available: (360) 438-1100 Press 8 for housing, then 2 for housed services.
The Treasury Rent Assistance Program (TRAP) is funding established to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligibility:
(A renter in a household in which at least one or more individuals meets the following criteria)
- Qualifies for unemployment or has experience a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experience a financial hardship due to COVID-19;
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- Has a household income at or below 80 % of area median
Eligible households that include an individual who has been unemployed for 90 days prior to application for assistance and households with income at or below 50% of area median are prioritized for assistance.
Household income is determined as either the household’s total income for calendar year 2020 or the household monthly income at the time application.
How much of my rent & utilities can be covered?
- This program can cover rent up to 150% of Fair Market Value and not more than the total amount owed.
- This program can cover rent past due since March 13, 2020.
- This program can cover three months of future rent at a time. Households can reapply after each three-month period for up to 12 months of total assistance.
- This funding can assist with past due utilities, including Internet.
How can landlords participate?
- Landlords can share this opportunity with their tenants and encourage them to apply.
- Landlords will need to provide their most recent W-9 form and lease or rental documents.
- Rent payments go directly to landlords. They’ll need to agree to accept payment from Community Action Council.
How is 2021 Rent Assistance funded?
To help address the economic impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on low- and moderate-income households, Thurston County is providing rent and utility assistance to help people maintain their housing. Through a mix of local, state and federal funding, these resources are targeting low- and moderate-income renter households who need assistance paying rent, past due utility bills and other eligible housing costs. This program benefits both renters who are struggling to make payments as well as the property owners who may have lost rental income during the pandemic.
Partner Organizations:
- Community Youth Services
- CIELO
- Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative
- Safeplace
- Family Support Center
- COFA Alliance Network of WA (CANN-WA)
Resources:
Contact information:
Call: (360) 438-1100 Press 8 for Housing / Press 2 for Housed Services
Check us out on Facebook
Additional Rent Assistance Programs ...
The Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP) is intended to prevent evictions by paying past due, current, due and future rent, targeting limited resources to those with the greatest needs while working to distribute the funds equitably.
The goals of the program are:
- Prevent evictions
- Target limited resources to people most likely to become homeless after eviction
- Target limited resources to people most likely to suffer severe health consequences as a result of the eviction
- Promote equity in who is served, with a focus on equity for groups of people who historically have not been provided equitable access to rent assistance and those who have disproportionately been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak: Latinx or Hispanic, young adults, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
Eligibility:
Households must meet two initial screening criteria:
- Current Income (over last 60 days) at or below 80% of Area Median Income
- At least one month of rent not paid or partially unpaid since March 1, 2020
Households must also meet at least one of the following additional criteria (any member of the household):
- 50% or more of current monthly income is needed to pay rent
- Previously homeless within last five years (this includes experiences of couch surfing/double up)
- Eviction history within last seven years
- Housing disrupted due to household member race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion
- At risk of severe illness as per the CDC (62 or older, underlying condition)
- Disability of any household member. (Includes a physical, developmental, mental, or emotional impairment, including impairment caused by alcohol or drug abuse, PTSD, brain injury, HIV/AIDS)
If head of household is 18 – 24 years old, additional criteria can be used to determine eligibility:
- Pregnant or parenting
- Recipient (current or past) from any one of the following: foster care, adoption, mental health, drug or alcohol treatment, court systems
United States citizenship is NOT an eligibility requirement of this program.
Documentation Questions for each Household:
- Number of people in the household
- Income from the last 60 days
- Address
- Rent amount / lease agreement
- Amount of rent owed (past, current, or future)
- Information pertaining to screen criteria (above)
- Landlord or Friend/Family Payment Agreement Form
- Landlord signature on HIE Form
- W9 from landlord or friend/family
Contact information:
Call: (360) 438-1100 Press 8 for Housing / Press 2 for Housed Services
Check us out on Facebook
Resources:
Foundational Community Supports
Foundational Community Supports is a program that includes Supportive Housing and Supportive Employment. Targeted Medicaid benefits are used to help eligible clients with complex health needs obtain and maintain housing and employment stability.
About the Program
Supportive housing services are ongoing supports to help eligible Medicaid clients find and keep stable, independent housing. Services include:
- Housing assessments.
- Identifying housing resources.
- Support obtaining a lease.
- Independent living skills development.
- Landlord relations.
- Crisis management.
Supportive employment services are assistance for those who are eligible to obtain and keep a job. Services includes:
- Vocational/job-related discovery or assessment.
- Planning for employment.
- Job placement, development and coaching.
- Skills-building for negotiating with prospective employers. The supported employment benefit will not cover or supplement a client’s wages.
FCS is not:
- Ongoing payments for housing, rent, or room and board costs.
- Wages or wage enhancements for clients.
- An entitlement.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for Supportive Housing services, individuals must be Medicaid-eligible, complete a needs assessment and fall into at least one of the groups described below.
- Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Those dependent on costly institutional care.
- Those dependent on more restrictive adult residential care/treatment settings.
- In-home care recipients with complex needs.
- Those at highest risk for expensive care and negative outcomes.
In order to be eligible for Supportive Employment services, individuals must be Medicaid-eligible, complete a needs assessment and fall into at least one of the groups described below.
- Individuals enrolled in the Aged, Blind or Disabled program
- Individuals enrolled in the Housing and Essential Needs program
- Individuals diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness, substance use disorder (SUD), or co-occurring mental illness and SUD.
- People who are receiving long-term services and supports.
- Vulnerable youth age 16 and older with a behavioral health condition.
How to Make an Appointment
Our policy is to make appointments over the phone. Please call your respective county office to make an appointment with a Foundational Community Supports Case Manager.
LEWIS: 360-736-1800
MASON: 360-426-9726
THURSTON: 360-438-1100
What to bring to the Appointment
Please bring your Medicaid insurance card and your Photo ID with you to your appointment.
Housing and Essential Needs
The purpose of the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program is to prevent the homelessness of and to rehouse unemployable adults and assist them with basic essential needs such as utility payments, personal hygiene products, and transportation. Last year a monthly average of 317 individuals who were either homeless, or at risk of being homeless received assistance.
Housing and Essential Needs (HEN)
Grant funds may provide eligible participants with rent, utility and transportation assistance as well as hygiene and cleaning supplies.
To qualify, the applicant must have an incapacity, (physical and/or mental) AND have zero income.
Qualifications for the HEN program is determined by DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services.) Qualifying applicants will then be referred to the Community Action Council for services to help stabilize housing related needs.
For more information about eligibility and services, please visit their website.
Housing Stabilization Program
Housing Stabilization Program assists single adults and families whom are at risk of losing their primary nighttime residence.
Eligibility
Is dependent on imminent risk of homelessness and at or below 30% area median income
Please bring eviction notice and proof of income
To make an appointment, call (360) 438-1100×1161.
Lacey Outreach Coordinator
The Outreach Coordinator (OC) responds to people with mental and/or substance use disorders, behavioral, housing, financial and other social service needs. The OC makes a considerable amount of public contact and is intended to bridge the gap between law enforcement and/or emergency medical response and the social service needs of people in the Lacey community who are in this population.
Contact information:
Call: (360) 870-4728
Rapid Re-Housing
Rapid Re-Housing provides short-term rental assistance and services. The goals are to help people obtain housing rapidly, increase self- sufficiency, and stay housed. It is offered without requirements (such as employment, income, absence of criminal record, or sobriety) and the resources and services provided are typically personalized to the needs of the person.
Eligibility:
Client must access Coordinated Entry and complete an intake to be placed on the Master List for Rapid-Re-Housing
- Proof of homelessness
- At or below 30% Area Median Income
To make an appointment please contact the CE Hotline @ 1-844-628-7343.
Weatherization
The goal of our Weatherization Program is to improve the quality of life for our clients by reducing their energy and budget burdens, allowing them to become more self-sufficient. Last year we improved the health and safety of more than 104 homes and provided basic services to an additional 71 homes.
Program Funding
The Weatherization Program delivered by the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties receives its funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce. It includes federal funds from the Bonneville Power Association, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the state-funded Energy Match Makers Program. Additional funding comes through partnerships with local utilities, such as Puget Sound Energy (PSE), and other contributions so that these services may be delivered to you free of charge.
Affordable housing is defined as a home that takes no more than 30% of the household’s income for rent or mortgage and utilities. Many low-income families in Washington pay more than 25 % of their income for energy costs alone. Weatherization programs exist to help low-income households reduce home energy consumption while increasing the health, safety, comfort, and longevity of their homes.
Services We Provide
Weatherization is the application of energy efficiency measures to a home. These may include:
- Air sealing measures
- Weather-stripping and caulking
- Insulation measures to ceiling, wall, and floor areas
- Related repair measures
- Health and Safety Issues
- Indoor air quality
- Heating system repairs
Each home is unique to what it needs. A trained energy assessor/inspector will visit your home to determine exactly what work your home may need. Measures are installed according to established technical specifications, cost effectiveness tests, and applicable building codes using CAC crews and specialty contractors.
*Note that general window replacement is not a priority measure and may not qualify under the free program.
Eligibility
Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties’ Weatherization Program is available to qualified families throughout Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties according to funding availability.
To qualify, the gross income received by all household members must be at or below 60% state or 200% of the current federally established poverty guidelines—whichever is greater. Income documentation and evaluation is required to determine actual eligibility. The homeowner will be required to sign all authorization forms if determined eligible for assistance.
Homes that are severely deteriorated and require extensive repairs may be ruled “beyond the scope of the program” and, therefore, ineligible for weatherization and minor home repair service.
Helpful links
United States Department of Agriculture: www.rd.usda.gov/
Housing Authority of Thurston County: www.hatc.org
*Information on how to become a weatherization contractor for CACLMT: Weatherization ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS 2020.
Please click here for more information regarding Grants supporting our Weatherization Program.
Income Guidelines
| 2020-21 Income Eligibility Guidelines | ||
| Household Number | Avg. Monthly Income | Annual Income |
| 1 | $ 2,127 | $ 25,520 |
| 2 | $ 2,873 | $ 34,480 |
| 3 | $ 3,620 | $ 43,440 |
| 4 | $ 4,367 | $ 52,400 |
| 5 | $ 5,113 | $ 61,360 |
| 6 | $ 5,860 | $ 70,320 |
| 7 | $ 6,607 | $ 79,280 |
| 8 | $ 7,353 | $ 88,240 |
Further income documentation testing is required to determine actual eligibility. Guidelines are revised annually. If your household appears close to qualifying, please contact CAC at (360) 438-1100 to speak to a CAC representative.To qualify for weatherization services, the gross income received by all household members must be at or below 200% of the federally-established poverty guidelines or 60% of State median income. Priority will be given to the households with income at or below the 125% level.
Sub Contractor Job Opportunities
