Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Task Force progress reports

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Update: Navigation Team

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Launched in February of 2017, the City of Seattle’s Navigation Team is comprised of specially trained police officers, field coordinators, and outreach workers who work every day to connect vulnerable people living unsheltered to services and safer spaces as well as to remove encampments that pose serious public health and safety risks.

Since taking office, Mayor Jenny Durkan has made important investments to expand the team’s capacity and to create hundreds of new shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness.  Earlier this year, Mayor Durkan announced “Path to 500” which will increase the City of Seattle’s bridge housing and shelter capacity by 25 percent. A number of these new investments have opened and many new shelter resources will be online in the coming months—these resources, in addition to the City’s tiny house villages, are critical to the Navigation Team’s work to connect people experiencing homelessness with more shelter resources.

Outreach

Through the Navigation Team’s ongoing outreach efforts, the team made over 7,300 contacts in 2017 to a total of 1,829 individuals. As part of their efforts, 1,179 individuals accepted some sort of service and 675 individuals were successfully referred to shelter. To learn more, please visit this site for additional materials regarding the Navigation Team’s outreach efforts in 2017.

Preliminary figures for 2018 show the team is on pace to surpass last year’s outreach outcomes, making over 7,000 contacts to people experiencing homelessness and 474 referrals to shelter through the end of July.

Given the team’s ongoing outreach efforts coupled with Mayor Durkan’s investments in team expansion and shelter capacity, it is reasonable to anticipate the Navigation Team will successfully move more people off Seattle’s streets and into safer spaces than ever before.

Addressing Unsanctioned Encampments

Over last 20 months, the Navigation Team has learned how to best utilize outreach and removal resources to balance the needs of people experiencing homelessness and the surrounding community as allowed by the City’s published and approved protocols. The Navigations Team’s focus is on negative public health and safety impacts. With an estimated 400 unmanaged encampments throughout Seattle, the Navigation Team prioritizes encampments for removal based on the totality of the conditions within and around an encampment including removing encampments on public property.

These rules are designed to balance the rights of people living unsheltered with the City’s responsibility to maintain public health and safety. These protocols require the team to have shelter space available for all people being asked to leave an encampment that is being removed. The rules also require the team to provide written notice of removal at least 72 hours in advance, coupled with repeated offers of shelter, service, and storage of appropriate possessions. The City will remove an encampment without advanced written notice or offers of service and shelter if the encampment presents an immediate obstruction to public use of property, or the right-of-way, or presents a safety and health hazard.

Since launching in February of 2017, the Navigation Team has removed a total of 411 unsanctioned encampments. Of these encampments, 273 were given advance notice with repeated outreach including offers of service, storage of possessions, and shelter. 138 of the total encampments removed either posed an obstruction to public use, were located within the City’s designated emphasis areas, or were considered especially hazardous to public health and safety.

Below is a breakdown of the Navigation Team since February of 2017:

72 Hour Notice Obstruction/Hazards/Emphasis Area
2017 142 49
2018  (thru July) 131 89
Total: 273 138

 

To better maintain public health and safety, the team has focused on removing smaller encampments, under the City’s protocols, which pose obstructions and/or hazards to ensure sidewalks, roadways, and public spaces remain safe and open for all residents, businesses, and visitors to utilize. While this work to remove smaller encampments that pose obstructions and hazards to the public is ongoing, the team also continues to conduct intensive outreach and removals of larger-scale encampments throughout Seattle.

 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions: Proposed South Lake Union Village

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The City of Seattle is hosting a community meeting on Thursday, June 28 at the 415 Westlake event space (415 Westlake Ave.) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. City staff and the Low Income Housing Institute will be present to answer community questions and provide an update on the Aloha Village.

At the community meeting on May 31, neighbors had the opportunity to engage with staff and ask questions. We have posted answers to the questions that we heard most frequently below.

Would a tiny house village at this site screen for sex offender status, active warrants, and/or other criminal history prior to letting people live there?
LIHI will be doing background checks for people staying in Aloha Village.

Are there any environmental concerns about using this site as a housing location?
The City is conducting site testing to ensure that this location can safely host a permitted village.

Why did the City give neighborhood residents such mixed messages about this proposed project?
There is a crisis of homelessness in Seattle. In the response to that crisis, it is important to find a balance between the urgent creation of more safe spaces for people living unsheltered and community engagement.

Mayor Durkan proposed the siting of this village in South Lake Union as part of her plan to serve more than 500 additional people per night. Before the City could implement this plan there had to be site testing, City Council approval of the spending plan, and community engagement. The decision was made to inform the community before all those steps were completed, so that neighbors had as much notice as possible of the proposed plan. We understand that this created confusion and we look forward to learning from this experience to improve community engagement.

How did LIHI get chosen as the operator of this proposed site?
The City has contracted with LIHI since 2015 to provide operations at permitted encampment villages.  The City would like to develop additional provider capacity to provide village operations through technical assistance and open funding processes. Due to the sensitive timeline for expanding beds for individuals living unsheltered however, it wasn’t possible to run a full funding process for this project.

What are the Codes of Conduct for tiny house village residents?
Each village has a Code of Conduct that residents must follow. These documents are publicly available on the City of Seattle’s Homelessness Response website at https://www.seattle.gov/homelessness/city-permitted-villages. Once on the site, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the + symbol next to a location to review the Code of Conduct and other information relevant to that site.

How much does it cost to operate one of these villages?
Costs vary by village and is dependent on a variety of factors. The City of Seattle invests between $204k-$528k per village for operations and services.

Where can community members locate data about neighborhood crime statistics?
Community members can find Seattle crime data on the Seattle Police Department website at https://www.seattle.gov/police/information-and-data/public-data-sets.

How will community member’s questions about this project be answered?
Questions will be answered at the next community meeting on Thursday, June 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 415 Westlake. Information can also be found on the City’s Homelessness Response Blog at https://homelessness.seattle.gov/.

If a tiny house village is sited at this location, how long will it stay in place?
Under the current ordinance, permitted villages on private or public land can operate for 12 months with an option for an additional 12-month extension.

What is the best way for community members give input on this project?
Community members can provide input on this proposed project at the next community meeting on Thursday, June 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 415 Westlake. Community members can also provide input via email at homelessness@seattle.gov. All input received via email becomes part of the public record for this project and will be used to help inform project design.

Will this tiny house village be drug and alcohol free?
The goal of this tiny house village is to provide safer living conditions for people living without shelter and help them to get into permanent housing. With that goal in mind, the village will not exclude residents who come into the program with alcoholism and/or chemical dependency issues. All residents will be required to follow a Code of Conduct that prohibits using drugs or alcohol in communal spaces.  Additionally, each resident will participate in case management services which will connect them to other supports as needed to help them reduce any barriers they face to getting into or maintaining housing.

How do low-barrier tiny house villages work?
The goal of the villages is to be as flexible possible to allow people who have been living outside for long periods of time access to shelter and services and work towards obtaining a permanent place to live. Given that some individuals living unsheltered suffer from alcoholism or chemical dependency, sobriety is not a requirement for living some tiny house villages. The people who chose to live at a village are informed of the program rules and agree to fully participate in case management and community activities. Staff are on site 24/7 to enforce a code of conduct and provide security oversight.

In practice, this means that a person is not expected to abstain from using alcohol or other drugs so long as, (1) they do not engage in these activities in public while in the village and (2) their behavior is respectful of other villagers, staff and community members.

What happens if a tiny house village is sited in this neighborhood and then we start to see an increase in crime?
Crime increases and decreases in neighborhoods can be due to a variety of factors. The Seattle Police Department tracks and analyzes crime on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. If a particular neighborhood sees in increase in crime the Captains are aware of that and are accountable to the Chief of Police to create a plan to address the issues.

Do neighborhoods with tiny house villages get extra police patrols?
Crime data, including any upticks in crime, is taken into consideration when making decisions on where to assign patrol resources. Emphasis patrols have been used to address areas of concern, when warranted.

How did this location get selected as a potential tiny house village site?
The City completed an assessment of available properties to identify those that were suitable and geographically distributed across the city.  Identifying a suitable site while addressing the concerns of the surrounding community is a challenging aspect of developing a permitted village. In addition to the characteristics above, the City assesses a site for environmental considerations to ensure that it can safely host a village and evaluates cost considerations for site preparation (fencing, gravel and soil preparation) and water/electrical hook up.

The City also considers a site’s proximity to services like laundry facilities, governmental offices, food pantries, meal programs, and non-profit agencies and whether it can be accessed by mobile services programs like the Mobile Medical Van and by public transit. Whenever possible, permitted villages are not sited in high-crime areas and we consider whether a program is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and businesses.

What outcomes are attached to tiny house villages?  What are they trying to accomplish?
The goal of tiny house villages is identical to that of emergency shelters; to provide individuals living unsheltered with a safer place to live, connect them to resources, and support them in finding permanent housing. Tiny house villages are tied to the same system-wide performance measures as emergency shelters

How can the community provide ongoing input about this village?
All villages have a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that provides advisory input on operations. Members of the CAC include businesses, community leaders, immediate neighbors, service providers and others. The committee of seven stakeholders meets monthly and meeting notes get posted on the City of Seattle’s Homeless Response website (www.seattle.gov/homelessness). If you would like to serve on the CAC. Please contact Josh Castle at jcastle@lihi.org or Tom Van Bronkhorst at tom.vanBronkhorst3@seattle.gov.  Community members may also provide feedback to the City of Seattle via email at homelessness@seattle.gov.

What is the City of Seattle’s current role in this project?  What would their role be going forward?
The City of Seattle’s Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) department is acting as the general contractor for the two City-owned sites. That team is responsible for the site design, the construction of the structures and the infrastructure/ utilities that are required to operate the site. Once an operator is identified and the site opens the day-to-day management and property maintenance will be handed off to them.

The City of Seattle’s Fire Department, SCDI, and Seattle-King County Public Health would perform periodic, unannounced inspections of the site to ensure all safety codes are being met. Additionally, the City of Seattle Human Services Department would contract with LIHI to provide onsite case management and operations of this village.

What would the staffing plan look like?
A LIHI staff person would be on duty 24/7 to monitor activities and respond to inquiries from both residents and community members. The staff would perform regular perimeter checks, organize trash cleanups, and respond to neighbors. LIHI would also provide an onsite case manager to support residents’ housing search and help connect them to other community supports as needed.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about how we are responding to the crisis of homelessness in Seattle.

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Frequently Asked Questions: True Hope Village at 18th and Yesler

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New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) are sponsoring a new permitted tiny house village at 18th and Yesler in Seattle’s Central District. This village will provide safer spaces to live for unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. The City of Seattle is supporting case management services and operations at the village.

At community meetings on May 22nd and June 12th, neighbors had the opportunity to engage with the sponsors and ask questions. We have posted answers to the questions that we heard most frequently below.

What is the official name of this village?

The official name of the tiny house village located at 18th and Yesler is True Hope Village.

How was this property selected?

The City is currently supporting six permitted tiny house villages. In an effort to distribute villages across Seattle, the City Council requested that District 3 be considered as well. The location was one of several sites in the Central Area and Capitol Hill that was considered.

Who is sponsoring this village?

True Hope Village is sponsored by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church.

Does this village meet the threshold for religious permitting as outlined in Code Section 23.42.054?

Yes. The Estate of Chris Demopolis (18th and Yesler, LLC) signed a lease agreement with the LIHI, which in turn assigned the lease to the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for use in their community ministry to people experiencing homelessness. The churches will use space in a community tent on the site to outreach to the residents.

How will the physical design of the site meet the needs of the 18th and Yesler neighborhood?

True Hope Village will install a 6’ cedar privacy fence around its perimeter to be visually appealing from the exterior. Tiny homes will be attractively designed and set back 25’ from the nearest neighbors. The village’s restroom and shower facilities will be connected to City utilities and will receive regular trash and recycling service. The site will be subject to drop-in inspections by Seattle-King County Public Health, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) and the Fire Department to ensure that all health and safety regulations are being followed.

Did the community have the opportunity to provide input on this project as it was being developed?

Yes. Two community meetings were held to share information with community members and receive their feedback. The first meeting was held on May 22nd. The second meeting was held on the evening of June 12th at Ernestine Anderson Place. Both events were well attended. Comments and questions from both meetings were collected by LIHI, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church, and multiple City of Seattle departments. Community members also reached out to each of those entities by email, phone calls, and face to face meetings to ask questions, express concerns, and offer feedback. Community feedback informed the project design and will continue to influence the project going forward.

How can the community provide ongoing input about this village?

True Hope Village will establish a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that will provide advisory input on operations. Members of the CAC will include businesses, community leaders, immediate neighbors, service providers and others. The Committee of seven stakeholders will meet monthly and meeting notes will be posted on the City of Seattle’s Homeless Response website (www.seattle.gov/homelessness). If you would like to serve on the CAC. Please contact Josh Castle at jcastle@lihi.org or Tom Van Bronkhorst at tom.vanBronkhorst3@seattle.gov. Community members may also provide feedback to the City of Seattle via email at homelessness@seattle.gov.

What is the City of Seattle’s role in this project?

The City of Seattle’s Fire Department, SCDI, and Seattle-King County Public Health will perform periodic, unannounced inspections of the site to ensure all safety codes are being met. Additionally, the City of Seattle Human Services Department will contract with LIHI to provide onsite case management and operations of this village.

How long will this village stay at its current location?

Under the current ordinance, permitted villages on private or public land can operate for 12- months with an option for an additional 12-month extension. This site is sponsored by religious organizations–under the Seattle Land Use Code there is no time limit. The lease on the site is for two years with six-month extensions thereafter. Anticipated opening is mid-July.

Who will live in this village?

Residents will include homeless families, couples, singles, students, seniors and veterans. Homeless students will include those participating in the Seattle Vocational Institute’s (SVI) pre-apprenticeship training program and the Urban League’s Career Bridge program. Homeless families and singles will be referred by the New Hope Baptist Church, Urban League, Seattle Indian Center, the Navigation Team and others.

How can I help?

Neighbors and businesses have generously supported other tiny house villages through donations of hot meals, blankets and clothing. Please contact Josh Castle at jcastle@lihi.org for information about how you can support True Hope Village.

What is the staffing plan?

A LIHI staff person will be on duty 24/7 to monitor activities and respond to inquiries from both residents and community members. The staff will perform regular perimeter checks, organize trash cleanups, and respond to neighbors. LIHI will also provide an onsite case manager to support residents’ housing search and help connect them to other community supports as needed.

Will drug or alcohol use be permitted at this village?

No. True Hope Village will be drug and alcohol free.

Are there environmental concerns with this piece of property?

Several decades ago the site housed a dry-cleaning business that disposed of chemicals onto the ground. An environmental assessment has revealed no health hazard to people living at the site provided that sleeping structures are elevated off the ground to provide constant air flow. All sleeping structures will meet this requirement. The barrels on the site were left-over from the soil assessment and are scheduled to be removed.

Is it possible for me to tour the village?

Yes. True Hope Village will welcome neighbors and provided tours.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about how we are responding to the crisis of homelessness in Seattle

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Human Services Department releases 2018 first quarter results from investments

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Figures for first quarter of 2018 indicate City investments are housing more people 

The City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) released the results of its homelessness funding for the first quarter (Q1) of 2018. There were 3,030 households who moved into permanent housing or maintained their housing through city investments in homeless services system in Q1 2018. This is an increase of 1,241 households over Q1 2017. In 2018, the department has a budget of $71 million to oversee more than 155 contracts with 39 agencies throughout the city who provide services for people experiencing homelessness.

“We are working with agencies every day to oversee the city’s public investments to help people experiencing homelessness. We compile quarterly data to help us understand how our investments are performing as part of a system of support for people.” said HSD Interim Director Jason Johnson. “We’re encouraged by the increases in placing people in housing and in the investments to enhance shelters with more services.”

Moving people into housing (exits to housing) and/or keeping them from becoming homeless is the primary measure of success for programs that received funding through HSD’s 2018 funding process.

Highlights of Q1 2018 Results

  • 3,030 households were housed through city investments;
  • Housing programs are moving people to permanent housing at an increased rate over 2017; and
  • Both enhanced shelters and housing programs that include supportive services such as case management help more people move into housing

The Homeless Services System

Seattle invests in three primary categories for homeless services: prevention (keeping people housed), emergency (shelters and connection to housing), and housing (permanent housing that may or may not include subsidy and support services). Together, these create the homeless services system. (click here to view homeless services system definitions).

Housing Programs are Moving People to Permanent Housing at Increased Rates Over 2017

All housing programs increased the rate at which they are moving households into housing or helping them maintain housing over Q1 2017. (click here for descriptions of these programs).

  • Rapid Rehousing: This national best-practice of short-term rental assistance until people can assume their own housing costs, moved 10% more people to permanent housing over Q1 2017, and had a success rate of 83% in Q1 2018. In 2018, HSD increased funding for this program to $7.2 million from $4.3 million in 2017.
  • Diversion: The Diversion housing program, which primarily helps people avoid the emergency shelter system, moved 19% more people into housing over Q1 2017 and had a success rate of 80.5%. In 2018, HSD increased funding for Diversion programs to $2 million from $1 million in 2017.
  • Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): The most effective housing program for chronically homeless people, PSH offers ongoing housing subsidy and support services. Because these units are so heavily subsidized, there is has a success rate of 99% in helping people maintain their housing or leave supportive housing to move to other kinds of permanent housing. The success rate in Q1 2017 was 98%. HSD increased investment in permanent supportive housing from $9.3 million to $13.2 million in 2018 in order to help people who need ongoing assistance from falling into homelessness.

Enhanced Shelters Help Five Times More People Move to Permanent Housing

Enhanced shelters, which provide such services as extended hours and case management with social workers, connect people with permanent housing at five times the rate of basic mat shelters.

Enhanced Shelters have increased their rate of moving people into permanent housing by 3.7 % over the first quarter of 2017. Basic shelters have an exit rate of 3.8% to permanent housing in Q1 2018, while enhanced shelters have a success rate of 20.5%.

In 2018, HSD supports 1773 shelter beds, 67% of which provide enhanced services.

City-permitted Villages provide tiny house structures and amenities for unsheltered people. Seattle supports seven villages, which provide spaces for more than 300 people per night. The City’s Villages are at capacity every night and have supported 17% of households in finding housing in the first quarter, a slight decrease of 1% over Q1 2017. However, HSD has been the investing in the management of these Villages to include enhanced services like case management in 2018 and should see this number increase in the year ahead.

“More and more people are experiencing housing instability in our rapidly growing region and their needs outpace the City’s homelessness prevention, emergency and housing services capacity. Continued focus on improving access to supportive services in shelters, villages and housing programs, while also focusing regionally on creating more housing is key to helping people exit the homeless services system permanently,” said Johnson.

HSD will continue to monitor the homeless response agencies it funds and drive towards results. Specifically, HSD is interested in improving the rate of exits to permanent housing for prevention projects, which decreased from a 94% rate of keeping people housed in 2017 to an 89% in Q1 2018. “HSD is working with several new programs that were ramping up in the first part of 2018, so we are looking for that area to improve,” said Johnson. Additionally, programs have 90 days to offer support through prevention programs, so clients who were successful at the end of the first quarter won’t be captured in the data until the second quarter.

NOTE: The City-funded agencies’ first quarter results will be combined with King County’s and made available on the All Home King County website http://allhomekc.org/ by June 11th, 2018

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Efforts to clean-up trash and syringes

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As the City moves more people living unsheltered into safer places, we are also working to restores spaces that were previously homeless encampments into safe, clean spaces. City makes significant investments to clean up trash and waste resulting from the homelessness crisis:

  • Removing trash from unmanaged encampments: In 2017, City removed 3,205 tons (6,410,000 pounds) of garbage and waste from unmanaged encampments. In 2018, the City has removed 260 tons (294,000 pounds).
  • Trash in the right-of-way: In May 2018, Seattle began a new Citywide effort to remove garbage and debris from roads, sidewalks, and the public right-of-way adjacent to RVs. Started initially as a pilot in November 2017 in SODO, this new coordinated effort is led by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), SPD’s Community Police Team (CPT), Seattle Parks and Recreation (Parks), Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) in order to reduce negative impacts to public health and safety. The pilot is designed to engage RV occupants to voluntarily move their RVs, which allows City crews to clean and remove garbage, waste and immobile vehicles left behind. In the first month, the City has collected nearly 34,270 pounds of trash.
  • Litter bag pilot program: In January 2017, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) began a pilot program to collect trash from unsanctioned encampments and from areas where RV camping is frequent. Working with other City departments and community partners, SPU gives out litter bags and conducts regular and on-call pick-ups. Since the pilot began, SPU has collected nearly 500,000 pounds of trash – approximately 27,800 pounds a month.
  • Syringe collection program: In August 2016, SPU launched a program to collect syringes through complaints as well as special disposal boxes in City public rights-of-way and small bathroom units in City parks. Since it launched in August 2016, SPU has collected 70,934 syringes.
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Mayor Durkan to increase Seattle’s Bridge Housing and shelter capacity by 25 percent to bring more people inside

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To help people experiencing homelessness get into safer places where they are more likely to access services, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced a new plan to increase the number of bridge housing and shelter units in the next 90 days by 25% to serve an additional 522 people every night.

“People rightfully say: we are and must be a better city than this. Thousands of people are living outside of our system and unsheltered. We all see some of the worst imaginable conditions – people are living among rats, needles, human waste, and garbage. And every three days, someone without a home dies in this City. We must act to move people off the streets and into safer, more stable places where they can more easily access the services they need,” said Mayor Durkan.

“I support the Mayor’s efforts to provide more immediate shelter, and King County is working in partnership with its cities to add more shelter and housing capacity throughout the county so people experiencing homelessness have a safe and secure place to rebuild their lives. Providing alternatives to tents and RVs is an important step to tackling homelessness, and we must also continue to focus on root causes to truly make a difference in our communities,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Pending final approval by City Council, Mayor Durkan’s proposal would increase the number of bridge housing and shelter units in the next 90 days by 25%. Her plan would serve an additional 522 people every night by:

  • Expanding enhanced shelter capacity to serve an additional 180 people;
  • Creating bridge housing at Haddon Hall serve 100 people through a master lease;
  • Expanding City Hall’s basic shelter serving 120 people each night;
  • Supporting of Whittier Heights Women’s Village, a tiny home village serving 19 chronically homeless women; and
  • Opening 54 tiny homes in South Lake Union and 30 new tiny homes at 18th and Yesler following community engagement and site approval. These tiny homes would serve approximately 103 people.

In addition, Durkan’s plan will provide funding for 163 basic shelter beds set to close at the end of May. Currently, the City of Seattle operates 2,032 shelter beds. This includes 1,185 enhanced shelter beds, 259 units in tiny home villages, and 588 basic shelter beds. However, the City-funded shelters and sanctioned encampments are at or near capacity; they are at least 93% full every night.

In January 2018, Mayor Durkan proposed her “Building a Bridge to Housing for All” legislation to create additional bridge housing and shelter options as well as affordable housing. Passed unanimously by City Council in February and signed by the Mayor, it called for a Bridge Housing Investment Strategy to increase our capacity to quickly and cost-effectively move people experiencing homelessness to safety through new bridge housing and shelter.

Mayor Durkan is proposing to create new resources to bring people off the streets and into safer places through a variety of strategies. Because enhanced shelters are more successful at exiting more people to permanent housing, Mayor Durkan’s proposed investments are focused on building more capacity at enhanced shelters.  Mayor Durkan’s plan would also provide dedicated beds to serve individuals living unsheltered referred by the City’s Navigation team as well as approximately 120 families and children. Providing more capacity for people living unsheltered to move into safer places like enhanced shelters and tiny home villages will also make it easier for them to access services including substance use treatment, mental health care, food, employment support, and case management professionals.

“Mayor Durkan recognizes that ‘we’re all better off when we’re all better off,’” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, District 7 – Pioneer Square to Magnolia. “I am grateful for her understanding of the desperate needs of our neighbors who we see every day sleeping in tents and cardboard on our City’s streets and knowing that there’s a better way to care for people and improve lives in our city. Today’s announcement responds both to the needs of people on the street as well as to demands of our housed neighbors. This is a big step toward the regional response we seek.”

“We must be unrelenting in our efforts to expand temporary and long-term housing options for individuals and families experiencing homelessness,” said Councilmember M. Lorena González, Pos. 9 – Citywide. “This expansion of shelter options is a demonstration of the City’s commitment to the need to invest across the spectrum of homeless services and housing that will make a measurable impact on reducing the amount of human suffering people experience on our streets every single day and night. This short-term strategy, coupled with investments in the creation of deeply subsidized affordable housing, is part of the solution to addressing homelessness. I continue to welcome a partnership with Mayor Durkan, my colleagues, regional leaders and service providers to effectively chart our path out of the current homelessness crisis in Seattle and the region.”

“To simultaneously address the crises of rising rents, opioid addiction, and an underfunded mental health system, we need both short- and long-term solutions,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien, District 6 – Northwest Seattle. “I believe that the Mayor’s effort is a step in the right direction towards the large-scale effort this City needs to meet the emergency shelter needs of community members. In addition to today’s steps, we will simultaneously need to increase our production of affordable housing units to permanently house people.”

“It’s immoral that in Seattle thousands of people are living outside. We must act with urgency and compassion to create the shelter and supportive housing needed now. Until we build significantly more affordable housing, expand shelters, and reduce the number of people entering homelessness, people will continue to suffer needlessly and die on Seattle’s streets,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Pos. 8 – Citywide. “Today is a small but important piece of the puzzle to provide shelter to those without homes in our city.”

Under Mayor Durkan, the City of Seattle is also continuing their investments in preventing homelessness. Earlier this year, Mayor Durkan launched the Seattle Rental Housing Assistance Pilot Program, which will serve approximately 1,000 low-income households to provide a range of critical resources, including rental assistance and utility discounts as applicable.

“Helping people experiencing homelessness takes a full range of options—from keeping people in the housing they have to helping people living on the streets get the support and services they need to move back in to housing,” said Jason Johnson, Interim Director of the City’s Human Services Department. “I am thankful that through Mayor Durkan’s leadership we can focus on increasing access to safer spaces that match people with the best support options for their individual needs.”

 
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Update: Northlake sanctioned encampment

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The City of Seattle has announced that the permitted encampment currently in Ballard will begin to move residents to its new location at 3814 Fourth Ave. NE in the Northlake neighborhood over the first weekend in March 2018. City funded encampments play a key role in Seattle’s response to the homelessness crisis by providing safe, enhanced shelter coupled with case management and support to help people experiencing homelessness find a path to housing.

The move-in announcement follow’s Mayor Jenny Durkan’s recent pledge to increase investments in tiny home construction, sanctioned encampments, and rental support for people on the verge of homelessness. The Northlake sanctioned encampment has a one-to-two year permit and will be continue to be operated by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), and managed by Nickelsville. The move-in announcement comes after months of community engagement, site preparation, and a temporary extension of stay of the current location in Ballard while the new site was prepared. The former Ballard site will be phased out and de-camped during the month of March, before being handed back over to Seattle City Light , which owns the property.

Northlake site

The Northlake property is owned by Seattle City Light, which offered the site to be used as a temporary encampment until future development begins. The Northlake site meets land use code requirements and is approximately 20 percent larger than the existing Ballard Nickelsville encampment. In total, the Northlake site will accommodate 22 tiny structures, a common kitchen area, showers and onsite case management services. The site is conveniently located near King County Metro routes and will have electricity, sewer, and water services.

The encampment will remain clean-and-sober with 24/7 restricted access. LIHI will provide case management, and will oversee subcontractor Nickelsville’s management of the day-to-day management of the site. This includes security and the organization of a resident self-governance model. Additionally, the City will work with the operator to convene a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to review camp operations, needs, and ensure operators and residents are adequately addressing concerns and complaints. The first Northlake Community Advisory Committee meeting will be scheduled during the month of April.

Volunteers from the community and LIHI already begun constructing the tiny home structures for residents over the course of February.

To get involved in supporting the village, contact Josh Castle, LIHI Advocacy and Community Engagement Director (JCastle@lihi.org).

Background

Seattle is the first city in the country to offer public land and funding to support permitted encampments for people experiencing homelessness. All six of the City’s permitted homeless encampment programs receive City funding to provide support services, security, and operations at the camps. The current City ordinance permits these encampments to operate for one-year with an option for a second-year renewal. To date, finding suitable locations that meet land use codes and needs of residents, operators, and surrounding community has been difficult during Seattle’s real estate and population boom.

In June 2017, the City released an assessment of the first three permitted encampments that found sanctioned encampments were effective in helping people living unsheltered find safer shelter and case management-supported living situations. The report also found neighboring communities and businesses responded positively to encampments and their residents.

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Mayor Durkan and City Councilmembers announce $1 million to ensure a continuation of homeless services

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Following the completion of the RFP process to focus on longer term housing strategies, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, City Councilmembers, and Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) announced $1 million available to ensure a continuation of homeless services for current providers to ensure no shelters close this winter. With up to six months of funding for all operating shelters in 2017, the City is working with agencies to ensure no current shelter programs serving people experiencing homelessness will close in the upcoming months, including those offering overnight-only programs like those run by SHARE/WHEEL.

“As we double the number of people moving into permanent housing and create more 24/7 enhanced shelter beds and services, we must ensure a compassionate transition for those who depend on current providers,” said Mayor Durkan. “Our City must work relentlessly to move people out of encampments and off our streets into permanent and affordable housing. I’m committed to creating additional short-term shelter, including micro-homes, to provide safer, healthier alternatives to living outside for those experiencing homelessness.”

“I am pleased that all shelters currently funded will remain open this winter. I have heard many fears expressed that under the City’s new investment approach people will be pushed outside into the cold. That is not the case. Rather, the goal is to invest wisely in programs that care for people first – such as enhanced 24/7 shelters and more housing units. The City’s thoughtful bridge funding will get us to summer, and I applaud the work of Mayor Durkan and the Human Services Department in creating a regional system that will house more people respectfully. After all, everyone deserves more than a mat on the floor or a tent on the sidewalk,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“This critical funding will ensure that current emergency shelter beds for our neighbors experiencing homelessness will continue to be available, while at the same time we transition funding priorities toward 24/7 enhanced shelters for immediate needs. Ultimately, this is a step in the direction of funding permanent housing for those in need, with the support services necessary to keep that housing sustainable,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide).

In November, HSD recently awarded $34 million in homeless investments for 2018 to move more people into housing, and to address racial disparities among Black/African American and Native American/Alaska Native communities. In the funded proposals, providers outlined their strategies to move more than 7,000 households experiencing homelessness into permanent housing in 2018.

For programs that have seen funding changes for 2018, HSD will be allocating resources and transition funds to ensure providers are eligible for short-term assistance while adjusting their operations. The department has assembled $1 million in funding, primarily from savings from projects in other divisions within HSD, staff savings, and other departmental administrative savings. There are 33 programs at 12 agencies who are eligible for transition funds to seamlessly continue operations from 2017 into the new year and for up to six months of 2018, which includes investments to DESC to enhance their shelter program.

“HSD is prioritizing service continuity in the response system even as there are changes resulting from the funding awards,” said Catherine Lester, Director of the Human Services Department. “We are working hand-in-hand with agencies to track each client, and to make sure there are adequate resources for them through this shift. Planning with agencies is beginning this week to determine how much time and funding each program needs to transition their programs to other funding sources or alternate services.”

The first priority is being given to shelter programs that are needed during the winter months. This includes those offering mats-on-the-floor, overnight-only programs like those run by SHARE/WHEEL, who did not receive ongoing funding in the RFP process. This transition time also allows for those shelters that were awarded funds through the RFP process to operate more 24/7-and/or-enhanced-shelters to come into full operation. These enhanced shelters include a place for people to stay inside longer, with fewer restrictions, and with more case workers and support, ultimately leading to moving more people into housing.

Secondly, HSD is providing some funds for programs that provide housing stability services such as rental vouchers for transitional housing, rapid re-housing, and/or permanent supportive housing. HSD is working with agencies offering these services to ensure these clients can remain housed and to identify staff impacts.

Finally, HSD is providing some funding to continue outreach and engagement as the city’s new outreach continuum that the department is organizing comes together. This funding will extend the work of providers such as the Downtown Seattle Association’s outreach team that currently canvases downtown and surrounding areas. Additionally, HSD will continue providing technical assistance as well as work on transition plans with providers such as Women’s Referral Service – Catholic Community Services and Catholic Housing Services to ensure a seamless transition.

Through the RFP process, HSD funded 30 agencies and 98 high-performing programs that will double the number of people moving into permanent housing to more than 7,000 in 2018, up from the 3,026 projected households expected in 2017.

Appeals were made by 15 of the 57 agencies who applied for the Human Services Department’s competitive funding process, which prioritized programs that moved people into housing and focused on the disproportionately-affected Black/African American and Native American/Alaska Native populations. No appeals were upheld.

All applicants for the funding were notified of the award decisions on Nov. 27. Agencies were then able to file an appeal to the HSD Director on technical merits within five business days. The City then had five business days to respond to the appeal. For an appeal to “have merit,” the appellant must have demonstrated that there was either bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest; or that there was a violation of policies, or failure to adhere to guidelines or published criteria and/or procedures. All decisions were finalized within the timeframe established in the submission guidelines.

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Gaining a better understanding of those experiencing homelessness and what they need

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The complex and emotional nature of the homelessness crisis often leads to misconception and myth, which can hinder efforts to pursue effective solutions.

In an effort to better understand the area’s homeless population and their needs, and better inform the City’s response, the Seattle Department of Human Services recently contracted with Applied Survey Research to conduct a large-scale homeless needs assessment. With the assistance of interviewers who had experienced homelessness themselves, 1,050 unsheltered individuals were contacted and multiple focus groups were held with 80 attendees in late November.

The survey results released March 3 served to dispel several commonly-held myths about the City’s homelessness crisis by revealing that:

1. Most of Seattle’s homeless population is from here, with nearly 70 percent living in Seattle/King County when they most recently became homeless. This counters the notion of “Freattle” — the oft-repeated claim that Seattle draws other states’ homeless people with the promise of free services. In fact, most of those living unsheltered say they fell into homelessness while already here, which is “consistent with other communities who solicit this information,” according to the report.

homeless graphic - where they come from

2. Family and jobs, not handouts, are the reason most people come to Seattle. More than 35 percent of those surveyed who were not from Seattle said they came here to be with friends and family, and more than 33 percent they came seeking work. Only 15 percent said they came to access homeless services. According to the report, “the survey suggests that the length of time of local residence is probably not too different from the general population and people come to the area to access their personal safety nets, job opportunities, and for other common reasons.”

homeless graphic - why they came to seattle

3. For the vast majority of those surveyed, living outside is not their first choice. They want housing. From the report:

Ninety-three percent (93%) of survey respondents reported that they would move inside if safe, affordable housing were available. This is commonly referred to as the “homeless by choice” question and suggests that the “traveler” or “nomadic” sojourner does not represent a significant group.

Rental assistance (68 percent) and housing affordability (65 percent) were the top two answers given by respondents when asked what they needed to obtain housing.

4. Employment and education alone are no safeguard against homelessness, and many of those living unsheltered do work. While more than half of respondents said they were unemployed or unable to work, 41 percent said they are currently working in some capacity (full-time, part-time, temporarily, or seasonally), and 35 percent reported completing some college or attaining a college degree.

homeless graphic - do they work

“This survey was an opportunity to hear directly from people experiencing homelessness in Seattle about who they are, how they became homeless and how we can best offer help,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “In taking this in-depth look, the City confirmed known needs like more affordable housing, as well as treatment and support for mental health and substance abuse disorders. It also showed the significant racial disparities and that homelessness disproportionately impacts the LGBTQ community. Because little help has come, particularly from the federal government, this assessment clearly shows Seattle must expand its investment in what is most needed, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, if we are going to address the crisis of homelessness.

“The City’s work under Pathways Home emphasizes the need for this individualized approach to offering services,” said Mayor Murray, “and this assessment offers a better understanding of the complex set of needs that can inform that work.”

“It’s very important that we talk to the people affected by homelessness so we can direct our city resources more precisely, but also look system-wide to make sure our “safety-net” has the support that homeless individuals say they need to move into housing successfully,” said Catherine Lester, Director of the City’s HSD. “While the results may not be all-together surprising, they are important touch points to inform our community’s work to provide a more efficient and effective system to move people out of homelessness.”

To read the full survey, click here.

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Severe weather shelter open through weekend

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Given this weekend’s forecast for cold weather and possible snow, severe weather shelter capacity is being extended:

  • King County Severe Weather Shelter is open Friday night, Feb. 24, Sunday night, Feb. 26 and Monday night, Feb. 27, at the King County Administration Building  at 500 4th Avenue in Seattle.  The Severe Weather shelter is open from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and serves up to 50 adult men.
  • Emergency overflow shelter will be available Saturday night, Feb. 25, at the William Booth Center at 811 Maynard Ave. South. Up to 50 adult men will be served at this location SATURDAY NIGHT ONLY.
  • Women needing shelter during this period should go to the City Hall Shelter at 4th & Cherry in Seattle at 7 p.m.

Referrals are not required for emergency shelter.

These services are staffed by the Salvation Army.  For weekday information, please contact 206-684-0231.

For additional information on homelessness services and response, visit http://www.seattle.gov/homelessness.