1st of its kind Tri-Cities project gives ‘those in deep need’ a place to call home

Bishop William Skylstad said that throughout his time as head of the Spokane Diocese his focus was on works that improved the common good.

Fittingly, on the 33rd anniversary of Skylstad taking over the diocese, Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington opened the Bishop Skylstad Commons supportive housing in Pasco.

The new 60-unit housing complex is aimed at providing opportunities for chronically homeless people. It has 27 studio apartments and 33 one-bedroom units.

They’re all completely income based, and tenants can live there as long as they need to.

The facility will offer a variety of services for residents including case management, mental health and substance abuse treatment, access to primary care, education and employment readiness, food preparation and nutrition classes and support groups.

Catholic Charities Walla Walla Director Tim Meliah said success is going to look different for every resident, because care and help will be based on their individual needs.

The long-term goal is to help lift people out of homelessness and poverty.

“It’s client directed services. When we can listen to the clients, it helps us to to be client centered,” Meliah said. “We have 60 units here and that path is going to be different for every one of them.”

New beginnings

While the nonprofit hosted the grand opening Monday to coincide with Skylstad’s anniversary, they’re still a few weeks out from moving in residents.

Meliah said he expects to start seeing residents set up in early May. They’re still waiting on furniture and a few finishing touches before welcoming new tenants.

Each apartment will come furnished with baskets of donated supplies with essentials such as pans, utensils and other items.

The apartments all have a four-burner stove top, and the building has a full communal kitchen downstairs for folks wanting to prepare something larger. St. Vincent de Paul also will be coming through regularly ensuring residents have food.

“What we have found is that when people come into stable housing, whatever is causing them to be homeless, the stability allows them to address that,” Meliah said.

“The support services are key to this. What we’ve really learned is that being able to have support staff that is here on site helps people to feel connected with somebody that is regularly checking on them, making sure that they’re stable and they’re OK.”

Meliah said the large crowd of city officials, business and nonprofit leaders, first responders, neighbors and parishioners who toured the building Monday really speak to the importance of the partnerships they’ve built in the community.

“We know that there’s a need in Pasco,” Meliah said. “We know that there are people that are hurting, that are suffering, that are going through difficult times. If we can come in and help them, that’s what we want to do. That’s what our mission is as an agency.”

“It’s just really an honor to be invited by the community to come and be a part of this,” he said.

Catholic Charities

Skylstad commons is the 14th Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington permanent housing tax credit project they’ve launched in the past 11 years.

Those facilities account for 875 of the nonprofit’s 2,600 units in the region. But the $16 million facility is the first of its kind in the Tri-Cities.

They expect about 10% of residents to move on to other housing each year, but success for them really comes in helping build stability and opportunities.

While Catholic Charities works with the diocese, they are not actually part of it. They are an independent nonprofit serving all of Eastern Washington.

Skylstad helped bless the facility, reflecting on his work to preserve environment in the area and support those in need. Since his retirement he has been spending time volunteering at the shelters in Spokane.

“I am deeply honored that this institution here in the Tri-Cities serving those in deep need is named after me ... ,” Skylstad said “This is a work of the Lord, respecting the presence of the Lord in one another, especially those who don’t often receive it.”