300-person homeless village in Spanaway gets green light after court tosses neighborhood challenge
Jun 5, 2026, 7:25 AM | Updated: 3:49 pm
A rendering of some of the homes and buildings within Spanaway's Good Neighbor Village. (Photo courtesy of Tacoma Rescue Mission)
(Photo courtesy of Tacoma Rescue Mission)
A 300-person homeless village in Spanaway is officially moving forward.
The Washington Court of Appeals tossed out a neighborhood group’s challenge on Tuesday, according to The Tacoma News Tribune. The group, Spanaway Concerned Citizens, argued that the creation of the homeless village, dubbed the “Good Neighbor Village,” could negatively affect neighbors, adjacent wetlands, and wildlife.
“This appeal is about a project that is a good idea — for housing for the homeless — in a bad location in an area that’s been not zoned for this type of use for decades, except for a six-week window,” Spanaway Concerned Citizens’ counsel, David Bricklin, said during a 30-minute oral hearing in front of the Washington Court of Appeals Division II last month. “The issue before the court is whether the applicant succeeded in vesting the project in that six-week window.”
The Good Neighbor Village is being constructed by Tacoma Rescue Mission. The plan includes 189 park-model RVs, 96 micro-sleeping units, a community farm, and five shared bath-and-laundry buildings, all built on 86 acres. It will additionally have three single-family dwellings for volunteers and staff, 285 parking spaces, maintenance buildings, an administrative building, and a civic building. The village will be located at 1609 176th Street S. and 17320 Spanaway Loop Road S.
The village is intended for those who have suffered “chronic homelessness” for a decade or more. Residents will pay rent and receive on-site social services.
“This shared housing village model aligns with Pierce County’s goal to expand innovative housing options for those who cannot access or sustain traditional housing,” Tacoma Rescue Mission said in a prepared statement. “Unlike temporary shelters, Good Neighbor Village provides permanent, stable community and housing where individuals rent their homes, have an opportunity to earn dignified revenue through jobs on location, and can rebuild and live out their lives in a community where they are welcome and safe.”
The village is expected to be completed by 2028.
Contributing: KIRO Newsradio
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