Funding opportunity for organizations to reduce homelessness in Walla Walla County.

2026-28 Homeless Housing and Assistance Funding Opportunity Open to the Public
The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH) is issuing the 2026-28 Homeless Housing and Assistance Request for Applications (RFA). DCH invites applicants capable of providing services related to reducing homelessness and housing instability for people living in Walla Walla County and supporting a holistic and effective homeless response system. The full RFA and supporting documents can be found on the DCH website ( dch.wwcowa.gov ). The funding available through this RFA is outlined in the application and is a combination of local document recording fee revenue and state Consolidated Homeless Grant dollars.
Completed applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
This RFA is competitive and open to any legally constituted entities that meet the eligibility requirements specified in the application. The Homeless Housing and Assistance RFA is focused on reducing homelessness and housing instability in our community through five objectives identified by the state and adopted by Walla Walla County in the 5 Year Homeless Housing Plan:
• Objective 1: Promote an equitable, accountable, and transparent homeless crisis response system.
• Objective 2: Strengthen the homeless service provider workforce.
• Objective 3: Prevent episodes of homelessness whenever possible.
• Objective 4: Prioritize assistance based on the greatest barriers to housing stability and the greatest risk of harm.
• Objective 5: Seek to house everyone in a stable setting that meets their needs.
Organizations wishing to apply must:
1. Address at least one of the 5 Year Plan objectives listed above,
2. Align with one of the allowable homeless housing interventions outlined, starting on page four of the full RFA,
3. Be prepared and willing to participate in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for data collection and project evaluation,
4. Be prepared and willing to abide by a standard form county contract, and
5. Be prepared and willing to meet all insurance and indemnification requirements set forth by the county and/or Commerce.
Recommendations regarding funding will be made by the Homeless Housing and Assistance RFA Scoring and Evaluation Committee, an independent committee of reviewers who will provide scores for all eligible applications submitted by the deadline, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Those recommendations will be reviewed by the Council on Housing, then provided to the Walla Walla Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), who will make the final decisions on funding.
Selected proposals will be given two-year contracts (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028) with one year of initial funding (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027). Funding for the second year will be contingent upon performance and fund availability.
The Department of Community Health will host a virtual information session open to all potential applicants on Monday, March 30, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. via Webex. There will be a brief overview of the RFA, as well as an opportunity to ask questions. The information session will be recorded and a link to the recording will be posted on the DCH website.
All questions concerning this RFA should be submitted in writing to ContractsDCH@wwcowa.gov with “Homeless Housing RFA” in the subject line. All questions submitted may be subject to the public record and will be added to a Q&A document posted to this webpage and updated weekly. The last day to submit questions is April 16, 2026.
 
(111937) March 26, 28 and 31, 2026