Grant County boarding home building starts

MOSES LAKE - Construction crews started building the Grant

Integrated Services' 16-bed boarding home Tuesday.

The Grant County commissioners awarded the $1.4 million contract to

Rimmer and Roeter Construction of Cashmere in December.

MOSES LAKE - Construction crews started building the Grant Integrated Services' 16-bed boarding home Tuesday.

The Grant County commissioners awarded the $1.4 million contract to Rimmer and Roeter Construction of Cashmere in December.

The building will house people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities using 12 long-term beds and four short-term beds.

Gail Goodwin, director of developmental disabilities and mental health residential services, explained the long-term beds are for permanent residents, while the short-term beds are for people staying up to 30 days.

"We have a pretty good housing continuum in the area. This is a gap we have identified," she said. "We anticipate (with) the respite beds, we'll have a place where they can go and stabilize. That is the intent for the short-term beds."

The long-term beds are for people needing more support. Grant Integrated Services Executive Director Jalane Christian-Stoker said in a previous interview that the people won't be dangerous. They are typically on Supplemental Security Income disability and receive counseling and medication management.

"We have people living in the same kind of situation in boarding homes in Wenatchee and Spokane because there is nothing in their community," Goodwin said.

Goodwin expects construction to be finished by September. The state Department of Health will inspect the building and the Department of Social and Health Services will certify the services before people can move in.

"I'm looking at October," she said. "It really is a very soft date."