Cowlitz County Commissioner Rick Dahl's $11 Million Mistake: Why Longview and Kelso Can't Afford to Lose Homeless Funding

As Hope Village closes October 1st, rejecting state funding would abandon Longview, Kelso, and Cowlitz County's most vulnerable residents

When Cowlitz County Commissioner Rick Dahl announced he might vote against accepting $11 million in Washington State funding for homeless services, he didn't just threaten Longview and Kelso's most vulnerable residents, he revealed a troubling willingness to make policy based on ideology rather than evidence.

The timing couldn't be worse. Hope Village, Longview's successful transitional housing program that has helped over 110 people find stable housing, is closing October 1st after the city failed to find a qualified nonprofit to take over operations from The Salvation Army. Just when our community needs these resources most, Dahl wants to turn away $11 million that could help replace this critical program.

Let me be crystal clear about what's at stake for Longview, Kelso, and all of Cowlitz County. This isn't just about money. It's about whether our county commissioners will continue to solve problems with data and compassion, or whether we'll let fear-mongering and political posturing drive decisions that affect real people's lives throughout Southwest Washington.

The Facts Don't Support the Fear

Commissioner Dahl's rationale for potentially rejecting the Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) rests on a single, unsubstantiated claim: that spending on homeless services creates a "magnet effect" that draws more unhoused people to our community.

Here's what the actual evidence shows:

Local Data: Despite fluctuating levels of state funding over the years, Cowlitz County's homeless population has remained remarkably stable since 2012. Our most recent point-in-time count documented 337 people experiencing homelessness—a number that hasn't dramatically increased even as state grants nearly tripled since Dahl took office.

Regional Research: The massive 2023 California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness—involving thousands of participants—found that 90% of unhoused individuals became homeless within the same state where they were last housed, and 75% remained in the same county. This isn't California-specific phenomenon; it reflects basic human behavior.

National Expert Analysis: Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, puts it simply: "People are homeless in the county where they grew up and are not moving around. They are in the places where they lived and became homeless."

Local Testimony: Our own 2024 point-in-time survey confirmed this pattern—a solid majority of people counted reported that their "last permanent location" before becoming homeless was right here in our local area.

The "magnet theory" isn't just wrong—it's harmful. It transforms neighbors facing crisis into scapegoats and turns evidence-based policy into fear-based reaction.

What This Funding Actually Does

The reality of how CHG funds are used tells a completely different story than Dahl's narrative suggests. Last year's nearly $4.8 million distribution went toward:

Preventing Homelessness: Lower Columbia CAP used $1.76 million in rental assistance to keep hundreds of families housed—paying landlords directly to prevent evictions. This isn't enabling dependency; it's preventing crisis.

Stabilizing Housing: Landlord-tenant mediation helps resolve conflicts before they result in homelessness, saving both tenants and property owners from costly legal proceedings.

Coordinating Services: The coordinated entry system ensures that the most vulnerable individuals receive priority access to housing and services based on standardized assessments rather than luck or connections.

Supporting Recovery and Leadership Failures: Hope Village, which required proof of Cowlitz County residency, successfully helped more than 110 people transition from homelessness to stable housing in just 2.5 years. However, the program is closing October 1, 2025, after Longview City Council failed to find a qualified nonprofit operator to replace The Salvation Army. The closure represents a devastating leadership failure at precisely the moment when $11 million in state funding could help establish replacement programs.

The irony is stark: Commissioner Dahl wants to reject the very funding that could help address the gap left by Hope Village's closure. As reported by local Journal Andre Stepenkowski (Longview Currents on Substack), "Longview has not succeeded in finding a provider ready to take over, so Hope Village will close October 1" with no clear plan for reopening. This represents exactly the kind of leadership vacuum that makes rejecting state resources even more harmful to Longview and Kelso residents.

As Ilona Kirby from Lower Columbia CAP explains, "This funding is a lifeline keeping our neighbors from losing their homes. These programs prioritize those most at risk, families and individuals who might otherwise end up on the street."

The Cost of Ideological Decision-Making

Here's what makes Dahl's position particularly frustrating: even if the county rejects this funding, the state will simply distribute it through another local agency. The money will still come to Cowlitz County, we'll just lose our seat at the table in deciding how it's used.

That's not fiscal responsibility. That's surrendering local control.

Meanwhile, the people who will pay the price for this political theater are:

• The single mother facing eviction after losing her job
• The veteran struggling with trauma while trying to maintain housing
• The senior citizen on a fixed income whose rent has outpaced their Social Security
• The working family one medical emergency away from losing their home

These aren't abstract policy discussions affecting some distant community. They're real people with real names and real stories in Longview, Kelso, and throughout Cowlitz County. With Hope Village closing and no replacement program secured, the stakes have never been higher for Southwest Washington families.

Learning From Success, Not Repeating Failure

What's most maddening about this situation is that we're seeing the same pattern of evidence-resistant policymaking that has failed our community before. Dahl and his allies, led by Arne Mortensen, have previously opposed:

• Drug Court programs (despite substance abuse being a significant factor in homelessness)
• Support for Hope Village (now a demonstrable success story according to the City of Longview)
• Meals on Wheels for seniors (basic nutrition security) 

Each time, the opposition was based on ideology rather than evidence. Each time, the community suffered as a result.

Even Lewis County, a strongly Republican area, faced a similar decision about their $6.6 million CHG allocation and ultimately approved it on a 2-1 vote. The single dissenting commissioner wanted to reduce the amount because homelessness in their county was declining, not because they believed the programs were ineffective.

The Moral Imperative

Beyond the policy arguments and data points lies a simple moral question: What kind of community do we want to be?

Rising rents, inflation, and economic instability are pushing more people toward housing crisis nationwide. The 2024 Point-in-Time count documented the highest number of unhoused Americans since reporting began in 2007—a staggering 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, representing an 18% increase from the previous year.

Against this backdrop, Cowlitz County's stable numbers represent a success story. Our prevention-focused approach is working. Why would we abandon proven strategies just as economic pressures are intensifying?

The causes of homelessness in our community aren't mysterious or abstract. Our own 2024 survey identified the primary factors: eviction (34%), job loss (21%), lack of job training (23%), mental illness (23%), and substance abuse (20%). About 10% were veterans who served our country.

These are fundamentally solvable problems—but only if we commit to evidence-based solutions rather than ideological posturing.

A Call for Leadership

Commissioner Dahl has positioned himself as a fiscal conservative, but there's nothing conservative about rejecting resources that prevent more expensive crises down the line. Emergency room visits, jail stays, and emergency shelter costs far exceed the investment in prevention and stabilization services.

Real fiscal responsibility means making decisions based on evidence and long-term outcomes, not short-term political calculations.

Real leadership means standing up for vulnerable community members, even when it's politically complicated.

Real problem-solving means listening to experts, reviewing data, and adjusting approaches based on what actually works.

The Choice Before Us

The debate over this $11 million grant represents a broader choice about the kind of community we want to build. We can continue the evidence-based approach that has kept our homeless population stable while surrounding areas struggle with dramatic increases. Or we can retreat into ideology-driven policymaking that prioritizes political messaging over practical results.

The stakes couldn't be higher. With economic pressures mounting and housing costs continuing to rise, now is the time to strengthen our safety net, not abandon it.

Commissioner Dahl and his colleagues have the opportunity to demonstrate real leadership by accepting this funding, maintaining local control over its distribution, and continuing the prevention-focused strategies that are working.

The question isn't whether we can afford to accept this funding. The question is whether we can afford not to.

Our neighbors who are one paycheck away from housing crisis are counting on us to make the right choice. Let's not let them down.

The Cowlitz County Commission will vote on accepting the $11 million Consolidated Homeless Grant in the coming weeks. Longview and Kelso residents who want to support evidence-based homeless services can contact Cowlitz County Commissioners directly or attend public meetings at the Cowlitz County Courthouse. With Hope Village closing October 1st and no replacement secured, community action is critical.

Keywords: Cowlitz County Commissioner Rick Dahl, Longview Washington homeless services, Hope Village closing October 2025, Kelso Washington housing crisis, Cowlitz County Commissioners, Longview City Council, Washington State homeless funding, Consolidated Homeless Grant, Southwest Washington homelessness, Cowlitz County housing programs

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About: This analysis was prepared by advocates for evidence-based homeless services in Southwest Washington. For more community advocacy content, visit Love Overwhelming, supporting compassionate solutions for residents.

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