The Hope Housing Collaborative of Lewis County is preparing to celebrate the completion of Shalom Village, a transitional housing project that includes six duplexes and a community building in Centralia.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at noon Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 1227 Harrison Ave. in Centralia.
“Come join us for refreshments, a tour of the community, remarks and words of thanksgiving for all those who have had a hand in making Shalom Village possible, including you,” organizers wrote in an event announcement. “We rejoice that soon our neighbors will have a warm place to stay, to get back on their feet and to rebuild their lives. Thank you for all your support of Shalom Village!”
A few years ago, members of Harrison Square Presbyterian Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Gather Church and Chehalis United Methodist Church discussed ways to help those struggling to find shelter amid rising housing costs.
They determined the community needed transitional housing, and the idea that would become Shalom Village was born.
It is Lewis County’s first transitional housing facility.
The privately funded village was built on land donated by Harrison Square. The name, Shalom, is Hebrew for “wholeness” and a “full sense of vitality and peace,” Mark McHugh, pastor of Harrison Square Presbyterian Church, told The Chronicle in 2024.
At the time, he said each unit would be single occupancy, and the project would not be open to outside visitors. Community members would also be expected to follow a code of conduct, McHugh said in 2024, adding that a system would be in place to potentially remove residents. The project would have a part-time site manager and case workers to assist residents, he said in 2024.
At the outset of the planning process, organizers said residents would live in the village for nine to 12 months. During the planning process, the collaborative studied similar facilities in Western Washington, including Hope Village in Olympia. The project was started by Harrison Square’s sister church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and is similarly high-barrier.
Look for more information on Shalom Village in The Chronicle following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Learn more and RSVP for the event at https://tinyurl.com/yewhpnbp.
•••
To submit photos and news tips to The Chronicle’s newsroom, email news@chronline.com or call 360-736-3311 during business hours. Submission forms are also available at www.chronline.com.
