A $20 million expansion of Tacoma’s largest homeless shelter faces potential funding roadblocks for staffing in the upcoming year.
The long-awaited project will result in the addition of 24,000 new square feet to the Tacoma Rescue Mission’s men’s shelter at 425 South Tacoma Way. By the end of construction, TRM plans to offer 176 beds to the general population, adding nearly a hundred beds to the 80 it has now. The expansion will double its capacity for addiction recovery beds, from 25 to 50, and unhoused veteran beds, from 10 to 20. The women’s shelter will receive four more beds, increasing from 64 to 68. In total, the expansion will help the property shelter 314 people each night.
However, according to Executive Director Duke Paulson, acquiring the funding to staff the expansion looks dicey…