History of the Project

2022

Pierce County adopted a Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness, which included a goal to create a "unified homeless system."

March 2024

The Pierce County Council hosted an initial roundtable discussion with elected officials from 13 local governments in Pierce County to discuss the potential development of a URA.

October 2024

The Pierce County Council hired a third-party consultant, Uncommon Bridges, to scope, design, and implement a unified regional approach.

March 2025 - March 2026

Uncommon Bridges convened five groups to design a URA:

• Elected Leadership Group (ELG): elected officials from governments within Pierce County

• Staff Planning Group (SPG): staff members from governments in Pierce County

• Three Task Forces (Governance, Finance, and Operations): groups with a broad range of expertise, including elected leaders, government staff, nonprofits, homeless service providers, community members, and people with lived experience

March 2026

The ELG reached strong consensus on a design for the URA.

April 2026 - Now

The Pierce County Council took the lead on next steps to implement the URA design.