Human services split: Thousands Tri-Cities veterans, disabled kids, homeless at risk
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Franklin County's exit from a bi-county pact may halt services thousands.
- Over 6,700 Tri-Cities residents risk losing housing aid amid funding disputes.
- Split could disrupt vital care for veterans, disabled youth, and homeless families.
As Tri-Cities leaders work to see if they can save a key bi-county agreement, community members have come forward concerned it could impact services the families of more than 26,000 who could be eligible now or in the near future.
That’s because the Benton County Human Services office, through an operating agreement with Franklin County, provides dozens of services to veterans, children and adults with developmental disabilities and people at risk of homelessness.
Most of these programs are paid for through Washington state Department of Commerce grants.
Now that agreement is at risk and Franklin County has told Washington state that it doesn’t plan to operate a replacement housing and homelessness services office if they do decide to split up. Teachers have also said they’ve had no word on what will happen to services their students need.
Thousands of Tri-Cities residents rely on these programs.
If Franklin County does leave the agreement, it won’t just impact their side of the river. Loss of funding, delays in case management, new contracts with community groups and other issues will be felt across the Tri-Cities.
Housing services
Housing assistance covered by the Human Services office provides a wide variety of services for thousands of Tri-Cities families.
Those programs include rental assitance, coordinated entry programs for people experiencing a housing crisis, eviction prevention, rapid rehousing to help unhoused people move into a unit, emergency hotel vouchers and more.
It also covers the Housing and Essential Needs program, which is a housing subsidy for people who are being evaluated for Social Security Disability. That program helps provide essential needs such as household supplies and personal hygiene items.
An estimated 2,150 were considered at risk of homelessness in Franklin County at the time of a January 2025 snapshot, with Commerce officials identifying 1,337 as homeless, in emergency shelter or housing unsuitable for habitation.
Roughly half of those considered homeless or at risk of homelessness are parents with children.
In September, Commerce officials said there are 313 clients in 171 Franklin County households being helped through Consolidated Homeless Grant funding. For the year 2025 fiscal year, that number was 871 clients in 398 households.
Rasmussen said Franklin County makes up for about 30% of recipients for that program.
In Benton County 5,721 are considered at risk of homelessness, with 3,619 identified as homeless, in emergency shelter or housing unsuitable for habitation.
At an estimated 70% share of the program recipients, Benton County would have had about 2,900 using Consolidated Homelss Grant services in FY 2025.
Importantly, Commerce officials noted that Benton County would not be required to serve Franklin County residents with its housing grant funding, but does not prevent it.
“However, it would be difficult because people experiencing homelessness often move across county lines, especially in neighboring communities like Pasco, Kennewick and Richland,” Lamb said. “If counties don’t coordinate, people could very easily fall between the cracks on any given day depending on where someone is and people could face confusion, delays in housing assistance, and inequitable access depending on which side of the river they’re on.”
The same is true for Community Development Block Grant funding, which goes to public services throigh the Benton Franklin Community Action Committee.
Benton County is concerned that Franklin County’s choice to leave the agreement could impact approval of grant funding for their current staffing level.
Lamb said Pasco could step in to replace Franklin County as a partner in this agreement — but not before July 2027. That’s because Benton County signed a new 2-year agreement this summer, before Franklin County moved to end the partnership.
The homelessness prevention programs are funded by about $16 million in grant funding over the 2-year period, $5 million of which goes to Franklin County residents, Rasmussen said.
Developmental disabilities services
Last year 973 in Franklin County were eligible for developmental disability services last year. Of that group, 671 were working with a case manager actively receiving services, according to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.
The remainder aren’t assigned a case manager, but that does not necessarily mean they don’t have a need for services.
Benton County has a total of 1,756 eligible for services, with about 500 who don’t currently have a case manager.
Often, these individuals are in between receiving approval for getting qualified for services and being assigned a case manager, according to a 2019 OPB investigation.
In Franklin County, those receiving services are also more likely to be children at 63%. That’s the second-highest rate in the state behind only Island County.
In Benton County, 47% of recipients are children.
Franklin County had 269 children enrolled in Child Development Services in 2024. That’s just 16 fewer than Benton County. Spokane County only had 458 children in those same services.
The Human Services office also helps organizations that employ people with disabilities. In Franklin County that’s 53 adults and 191 in Benton.
The goal of services such as Pasco Transition Center is to help adults with disabilities ages 18 to 22 transition to living independently and working if they’re able to.
Franklin County currently has 15 students in high school transition programs, Benton has 33. Between 2025 and 2028 nearly 200 students are expected to participate in transition programs.
Veteran services
From recently discharged or retired veterans to those seeking help for job training or healthcare as they get older, those who served are the single largest group of people likely to be impacted by a Human Services breakup.
There are an estimated 3,250 veterans in Franklin County. One-third of those veterans are on disability and about 400 are over age 65, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Benton County is home to about 12,850 veterans, with around 3,800 on disability benefits and 1,500 age 65 or older.
The Veterans Service Officer helps veterans and their families learn about, and apply for resources and services. Virtually any major change in their life could lead a veteran to pick up the phone and call their VSO to see what help is available.
Services available through the Veterans Service Office include:
- Health Care
- Disability
- Education and Training
- Pension
- Housing Assistance
- Life Insurance
- Burials and Memorials
- Requesting Service and Medical Records
