Lewis County Commissioners Turn to Giant Catch Basin to Address Homeless Crisis

Local | 2025/07/13

LEWIS COUNTY, WA — In an ingenious, yet absurd move, Commissioners Scott Brummer and Sean Swope have unveiled their boldest solution yet: rather than funnel scarce grant dollars into shelters and rental assistance, they’ve installed an enormous catch basin the size of a Gray-Hound bus in the heart of town. Towering billboards and bright arrow signs beckon passersby with promises like “Free Stuff to People Who Have Nothing”, "looky looky", and “Homeless Welcome.”

The inspiration, Swope admits, struck him in the quiet hours after last Tuesday’s meeting. “I was lying in bed with my Love-to-the-Rescue blanky, worrying that Lewis County would become a ‘catch basin’ for homelessness,” he says. “Then I thought, why not build an actual basin big enough to solve the problem?” What seems ridiculous at first glance, he argues, could actually work.

Commissioner Brummer is equally confident. “I’m 100% a believer that if we build it, they will come,” he declares, adding that the basin is “foolproof.” Not everyone in Lewis County shares their enthusiasm. Critics call the plan inhumane, but many concede that if this back-to-basics approach saves taxpayer dollars, it may be an acceptable—and undeniably creative—experiment.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story..

-Dean

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