Homelessness Response Blog

In March, the City of Seattle and King County announced a number of publicly owned facilities were being made available for homeless shelter providers to move clients to in order to allow for social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The de-intensifying shelters provide meals, access to hygiene services, and operate 24/7. Miller Community Center, Garfield Community Center, Exhibition Hall, and Fisher Pavilion all have been made available by the City and utilized by service providers during the crisis. Last week, YouthCare selected to move their program to the Southwest Teen Life Center in West Seattle, which had also been made available by the City in April.

Loyal Heights Community Center is North Ballard has been available since April for a service provider to use for de-intensifying efforts. To date, no service provider has requested use of this site. The City will keep this facility available in the event a service provider needs space to move clients to. The Seattle Human Services Department is in frequent contact with shelter providers and has made known this facility remains available to providers.

These shelters are part of the City’s overall effort to create more safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. De-intesfying efforts alone have created nearly 400 safer 24/7 spaces for shelter clients.

The City’s South West Teen Life Center (SWTLC) will temporarily shelter up to 30 young adults from YouthCare’s Jackson Street overnight shelter. The move provides 24/7 shelter space, supportive services, and more space for social distancing per public health guidance. The program supports youth between the ages of 18 to 24. Youth will be provided access to showers and three meals per day. YouthCare will begin moving clients to this location on May 8.    

This new de-intensifying shelter builds on efforts the City and King County’s effort to reduce density in large, high capacity shelters to slow the spread of COVID-19.  While de-intensification efforts have focused on improving health conditions for existing shelter clients, these de-intensifying shelters also offer expanded services for many clients including the provision of meals, hygiene and cleaning services, and 24/7 access to a safe space that they are not required to leave every morning.

MAY 8 UPDATE: Since mid-April, the Navigation Team has referred 29 unsheltered individuals from the Ballard Commons area to recently opened tiny home villages and enhanced shelter beds at Lake Union Village, T.C. Spirit Village, and Lakefront Community House. Advanced outreach in the Ballard Commons area resulted in 21 individuals accepting shelter. 8 individuals accepted shelter on the day of the removal. Preliminary data shows approximately 70% of all referrals the Navigation Team has made citywide since mid-April arrived and enrolled at these new shelter resources.

Today, after weeks of extensive outreach that began in March — including the offer of shelter to all individuals—the City removed an unmanaged and unlawful encampment in the Ballard Commons area. The removal was completed due to immediate and ongoing risks to the public health and safety of the community, including Hepatitis A. Living structures also obstructed public rights-of-way, which created further public health risks. The team made repeated visits to this site, resulting in 19 accepted offers of shelter in the week leading up to the removal. The team made 29 site visits since March and provided 48-hours formal written notice at 9am Saturday May 2. Outreach — including offers of shelter—continued up to and during the removal of the unsafe and unlawful encampment on Monday.  

The removal follows weeks of ongoing outreach in the Ballard Commons area by the City of Seattle’s Navigation Team, leading to 19 acceptances of shelter since April 22—which demonstrates a high level of engagement and outreach success by the team. In mid-April, the City opened 95 new shelter beds that are exclusively available to the Navigation Team at tiny house villages and enhanced shelter. Individuals from the Ballard Commons encampments  have primarily been referred to these new shelter resources, and the City is focused on using these new resources to bring individuals living unsheltered into safer and healthier conditions.  

Navigation Team engagement in the area included collaboration with Public Health –Seattle King County (“Public Health”) to address the recent outbreak in Hepatitis A cases through the distribution of public health flyers, handing out of hygiene kits, and coordination of Hepatitis A vaccines.  The Navigation Team has also worked with Seattle Parks and Public Utilities to provide hygiene resources in the area including sanicans and a hygiene station. Prior to the removal, the team had made over 30 site visits to conduct outreach, remove garbage, and to distribute hygiene kits. As of April, Public Health has identified 17 cases of Hepatitis A among individuals who are living unsheltered in Ballard. 

Recently, the City of Seattle and The Seattle Public Library announced the re-opening of restrooms at five library locations including the Ballard Branch (5614 22nd Ave. N.W.), which opened in April. This reopening, done in coordination and under the guidance of Public Health, continues to provide additional hygiene resources to people living unsheltered in Ballard Commons. 

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis and across Seattle, the Navigation Team has distributed 2,233 hygiene kits, 1,837 Public Health—Seattle & King County (Public Health) COVID-19 and Hepatitis A flyers, 352 meals, and hygiene services maps.    

Removal  

Despite these daily services and efforts to get people into shelter and reduce public health impacts, the unauthorized encampment continued to grow with deteriorating conditions that posed significant, immediate, and ongoing risks to the health and safety of both the housed and unsheltered community. The team determined the encampment posed an extreme circumstance given these conditions. The most significant risks at this location were:  

• The growing number of people living unsheltered and in close/dense proximity  increases risk for both COVID-19 and Hepatitis A exposure and spread  
• Despite providing hygiene and medical services , the accumulation of human and biowaste continued to grow, compounding potential Hepatitis A exposure and other communicable disease risks 
• Living structures and stored materials obstructed safe access to sidewalks, the Ballard Commons Park and Ballard Library, and rights-of-ways, especially along the perimeter of the park. 
• This removal was conducted under the City’s obstruction and hazard guidelines. However, the City provided advance written notice, ongoing outreach and services, and offered shelter and storage leading up to and during the removal. Understanding the current COVID-19 crisis and the prevalence of Hepatitis A, this was done to help get as many people into shelter as possible, where individuals would have access to 24/7 services, hygiene, and storage of belongings.  

There were 15 individuals living unsheltered within the encampment at the start of the removal on Monday. Every individual was offered shelter. The team had shelter available for every person interested in shelter, including enhanced and tiny house village spaces. Specifically, there were two beds available at the Navigation Center, one tiny house at Lake Union Village, and nine spaces available at Lakefront Community House. The team also had access to shelter beds at other City-funded shelter programs operated by DESC, Salvation Army, and Compass Housing. Note that under City protocols, offers of shelter and bed availability are not required for an obstruction removal. However, shelter space was set aside in advance of this removal to build on the outreach leading up to today’s events. Final outreach data will be included in an update to this post.  

Public Health and Safety Considerations 

Beginning in early March, the City has limited its unsanctioned encampment removals to areas that pose public health and public safety risks. Weeks of ongoing outreach and focused efforts to bring public health resources to the area ultimately did not reduce the public health and safety concerns. The City focused nearly all outreach efforts citywide to the Ballard Commons area to move people out of unsafe outdoor living conditions into safer indoor spaces that allow for better social distancing, 24/7 access to showers, restrooms, and supportive services.  

The City has a responsibility to protect public health and safety for all residents of Seattle. Removing unsafe and unlawful encampments—such as the Ballard Commons area —was done only after ongoing outreach with offers to shelter.  

The City will monitor the area following the removal to ensure the area is not immediately re-camped.  Note–outreach data included may change slightly as information is finalized and verified.

The Navigation Team continues to do critical outreach in the field to people living unsheltered during the COVID-19 outbreak.  

In addition to connecting individuals to essential services and making referrals to shelter, the Team has stepped up its public health efforts in response to the pandemic. Through April 26, the Navigation Team has distributed 2,171 hygiene kits, 1,777 Public Health—Seattle & King County (Public Health) COVID-19 and hepatitis A flyers, and hygiene services maps.   

This is especially true for the Ballard Commons area where the Navigation Team has been conducting outreach at the location multiple times a week. Since March 1, the Navigation Team has made 29 site visits to this area. This outreach, in addition to trash and debris mitigation, has resulted in 19 referrals to shelter from the Ballard Commons area in the past week alone.  The City recently opened 95 new shelter beds that are exclusively available to the Navigation Team at tiny house villages and enhanced shelter and individuals from the Ballard Commons have been referred to these new shelter resources.  

Navigation Team engagement in the area is ongoing and includes coordination with Public Health to address the recent increase in hepatitis A cases through the distribution of public health flyers, handing out of hygiene kits, and coordination of hepatitis A vaccines.  The Navigation Team has also worked with Seattle Parks and Public Utilities to provide hygiene resources in the area.   

Just last week, the City of Seattle and The Seattle Public Library announced the re-opening of restrooms at five library locations including the Ballard Branch (5614 22nd Ave. N.W.). This reopening, done in coordination and under the guidance of Public Health, is providing additional vital hygiene resources to people living unsheltered in Ballard Commons. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and based on public health recommendations, City encampment removal operations have been suspended except for extreme circumstances. The Navigation Team is aware of the increases of unmanaged encampments and will continue to do critical outreach in the field to people living unsheltered during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Facing an unprecedented public health crisis, the City of Seattle is working to slow the spread of COVID-19 for individuals experiencing homelessness. Working with Public Health – Seattle & King County and King County, shelter resources are being deployed to:   

• Create more emergency shelter for unsheltered individuals  
• Create more social distancing for clients of existing high-use shelters  
• Create isolation (for confirmed cases) or quarantine spaces (for possible/suspected cases)  
• Create space for recovery for people who do not require emergent care  

Public Health – Seattle & King County and City officials determined early in the COVID-19 crisis that reducing density in large, high-capacity shelters was a priority to slow the spread of COVID-19 as well as opening spaces for individuals without homes to isolate, quarantine, and recover. While de-intensification efforts have focused on improving health conditions for existing shelter clients, these de-intensifying shelters also offer expanded services for many clients: from basic shelter (mats on floors) to now include meals, hygiene and cleaning services, and 24/7 access to a safe space that they are not required to leave every morning. 

Service provider staffing remains one of the largest obstacles to standing up, operating, and staffing shelters during the COVID-19 emergency. The City will continue to work with service providers to identify emerging shelter needs in the weeks ahead for both individuals who are currently connected to the City’s shelters or living unsheltered.   

New Capacity for Unsheltered Individuals Experiencing Homelessness 

The City of Seattle has created 95 new spaces for people experiencing homelessness. These units will be exclusively for unsheltered individuals referred by the Navigation Team’s continued outreach or other outreach providers in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.   

Last week, the City announced the opening of 45 new spaces for unsheltered individuals with the expansion of Lake Union Village by 20 spaces and the opening of Cherry Hill – Spirit Village (T.C. Spirit Village) in the Central District , which includes 25 units for people currently living unsheltered. The Cherry Hill – Spirit Village (T.C. Spirit Village) will provide safe shelter spaces, access to hygiene services and case management throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis for individuals experiencing homelessness. Lake Union Village was established in 2018. With the addition of 20 new spaces, staffing, services, and case management will also be expanded to meet the increased need. Referrals to these villages—and all City-funded villages—are coordinated by the Navigation Team.   

This week, the City announced the opening of Lakefront Community House in the Bitter Lake community. Beginning on Wednesday, the shelter will open. The facility can provide up to 50 spaces as some rooms can be double occupancy. The former treatment facility is owned by LIHI—which will operate, manage, and staff the shelter. Clients will have 24/7 access, with services, case management, and housing connections. Referrals to this shelter will be coordinated by the Navigation Team.   

De-Intensifying Shelters for Individuals Currently in Shelter 

The City of Seattle is working closely with higher capacity shelter providers to create more social distancing between individuals, which can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The City’s highest capacity shelters were typically overnight only shelters. The City has led efforts to open four new 24/7 shelters to create more physical distancing space for current clients and access to meals, hygiene and services all day. King County has moved  hundreds of shelter clients from Seattle’s high-capacity shelters to hotels across the region in response to COVID-19 and  the City has partnered by maintaining funding and resources for service providers to continue serving clients in these new locations.   

A total of 358 new 24/7 spaces have been opened for shelter clients from the City of Seattle:   

• Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center (79 spaces) operated by the City of Seattle in partnership with the Salvation Army  
• Garfield Community Center (50 spaces) operated by the City of Seattle in partnership with Catholic Community Services, YWCA, and WHEEL  
• Miller Community Center (50 spaces) operated by the City of Seattle in partnership with Compass  
• Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center (179 spaces), open and operated by DESC 

In addition, the City of Seattle funds operations of DESC and Catholic Community Services (CCS), which have used 200 hotel rooms funded by King County for DESC clients and 80 beds created for CCS in the King County International Airport to de-intensify shelters that serve some of the most vulnerable in the homeless population.  The City funds services for 638 clients that are now served by 24/7 operations, and which were previously served primarily by overnight operations.   

Currently, staff from the Human Services Department, Seattle Parks & Recreation, and the Seattle Center are providing staff at the City’s sites. These sites are maintaining an effective staff to resident ratio, private security, professional cleaning services, and provide meals. You can view a short video of the shelter options the City has created here. 

With the additional 24/7 spaces that have been added, the City is working with service providers to evaluate if additional de-intensification spaces can be added, including the staffing that is necessary for these 24/7 facilities. This includes evaluating the SW Teen Life Community Center, Loyal Heights Community Center, hotels, or mass tent shelters that could be used for either serving current shelter clients or individuals living unsheltered.   

Creating Isolation, Quarantine and Recovery Centers  

King County has identified locations for isolation, quarantine, assessment and recovery care for individuals who are not able to recover in their own homes, or do not have a home. These centers will also provide space for isolation and quarantine and hospitals to discharge non-emergency COVID-19 cases, freeing up hospital space for those with acute needs. In addition to an open isolation site in North Seattle, King County is expected to open sites in Interbay and SoDo.  

Shelter Provider Engagement  

Staff with Seattle Human Services Department are working closely with all shelter and day service providers to ensure their ability to follow social distancing guidelines and assist with access to hygiene and sanitation supplies. The City asks the City’s service providers to report daily on individuals who have COVID-19 like symptoms to ensure rapid connection to testing that is being done in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County and many mobile health care facilities.   

Through its City donation program, the City has also provided PPE to a series of service providers.   
  
 

In response to a situation that posed a significant public safety and health risk, the City of Seattle’s Navigation Team removed an unmanaged encampment in the area behind the Navigation Center on a public stairwell. Prior to today’s action, the Navigation Team engaged with those living in the encampment area 12 times, resulting in 80 engagements and 12 referrals to shelter, since March 1. The Navigation Team has distributed 148 hygiene kits in the area.   

There were nine individuals on site this morning before the removal started. System Navigators offered shelter to each individual on site, which included shelter within the 95 shelter spaces that opened up this week at three shelters across Seattle. Preliminary numbers show three individuals accepted shelter at these shelters from this encampment today. System Navigators arranged for transportation of both people and possessions to these locations.  

Up until today’s encampment removal, the Navigation Team and partner City agencies engaged this site multiple times a week. In addition to essential outreach services, the Team provided Public Health – Seattle & King County COVID-19 and hepatitis A flyers, shelter referrals, and mitigation efforts included trash bag distribution and collection, debris removal, and sharps collection. 

This action took place for the following public safety reasons: 

• The encampment was on the staircase immediately to the south of the Navigation Center and created growing public safety concerns as documented by the Seattle Police Department (SPD), including violent crimes. Please contact SPD for details.   
   
• Due to the steep and narrow terrain of the area, SPD is unable to effectively patrol the staircase, which is a contributing factor to the documented criminal activity in the area. 

• As the area became more densely populated, the blocked staircase and fire hydrant prevented outreach, waste removal crews, SPD and SFD from safely accessing the encampment, furthering public safety and public health concerns. 

Additionally, the high density of tents and structures in the confined area had the potential for the spread of COVID-19 and hepatitis A. Per public health guidance, de-intensifying congregate spaces to help mitigate spread of the COVID-19 illness and other communicable diseases has been a priority for HSD. With new enhanced shelter beds available over the past week – reported as the most highly sought shelter spaces by people experiencing homelessness  -the City as more enhanced shelter resources to offer people living unsheltered at this time.   

Navigation Team members  have continued outreach throughout Seattle and distributed 1,663 hygiene kits, Public Health—Seattle & King County COVID-19 and hepatitis A flyers, and hygiene services maps through April 12, 2020.  

Except for extreme circumstances, during the COVID-19 crisis, the Navigation Team’s focus is on outreach, referrals to shelter, distribution of information about COVID-19, and hygiene kits.  The removal of the encampment on the Navigation Center stairs aligns with the Navigation Team’s COVID-19 operational plan — and was the first removal under these guidelines — which calls for encampment removals in response to a significant public safety danger to occupants or the greater community.  

The Navigation Team will continue to monitor the area to discourage the return of unsafe living conditions. The team will continue engaging individuals living in the area—many of which the team has interacted with for a number of years—to connect them to services and shelter.

The City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) today announced the opening of a new, 24/7 enhanced shelter in the Bitterlake neighborhood. The shelter has been named the Lakefront Community House. This new shelter was announced in March by Mayor Jenny Durkan and opened within weeks following the announcement, highlighting the urgency with which the City and its partner, LIHI, is working to add new shelter capacity during the COVID-19 crisis. The City’s Navigation Team will coordinate referrals to Lakefront Community House and will work with LIHI to identify and connect vulnerable people experiencing homelessness to this shelter that are high-risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

This announcement builds on last week’s opening of T.C. Spirit Village, which is a new tiny house village in the Central District, and the expansion of the Lake Union tiny house village. To learn more about the City’s efforts to shelter Seattle’s most vulnerable communities, watch this video.  

The Lakefront Community House will support up to 50 people and will provide access to hygiene services and case management throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis for individuals experiencing homelessness. LIHI will operate and manage the shelter. This project was under consideration prior to the public health crisis and was opened ahead of schedule under the Mayor’s emergency powers. Typically, the siting, development, and opening of an enhanced shelter take several months to complete.  

Located at 600 N130th St in North Seattle, the shelter building is owned by LIHI and has 28 units that can shelter up to 50 people. There are shared restrooms and showers on each floor, common areas, a kitchen cafeteria, laundry, and outdoor spaces. Each room could be used as double or more occupancy, but will likely be used as single occupancy during the COVID-19 crisis. LIHI will provide housing case management.  

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON), HSD, and LIHI have and will continue to engage neighborhood stakeholders, including the neighboring Seattle Housing Authority program, to ensure community has the opportunity to partner with LIHI and the City to support the long-term success of the Lakefront Community House program. 

Today, the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) announced Lake Union Village, an existing tiny house village in the South Lake Union neighborhood, has expanded by 20 units and is now accepting new referrals from the Navigation Team. This expansion brings Lake Union Village’s total capacity to 42 units. The increased capacity was announced in March, when Mayor Durkan exercised her emergency powers to expedite the siting and opening of emergency shelter to support people living unsheltered during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Lake Union Village was established in 2018 and is operated by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). Services at the village will increase to accommodate new residents referred to the village by the Navigation Team. Services include housing case management from LIHI and behavioral health support provided by LifeLong.  

This expansion builds on the City’s efforts to create 95 new safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier today, the City announced the opening of another tiny house village, T.C. Spirit Village, which is a part of this effort to create more shelter for COVID-19 response and is also a Navigation Team referral shelter.  

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in King County, the City of Seattle’s Navigation Team has stepped-up its outreach efforts to assist vulnerable people living unsheltered through the crisis.  
 
To limit the spread of COVID-19 among unsheltered individuals, the Navigation Team has focused on sharing essential public health information through one-on-one interactions , distributing public health flyers, and providing hundreds of hygiene kits through direct engagement. This work is being done in parallel with other direct engagements, such as connecting individuals to essential services and making referrals to shelter.  
 
Since March 1, the Navigation Team has:  

(The above figures are preliminary and may include duplicative data, however hygiene kits are unique. Shelter referrals for all outreach providers, including the Navigation Team, have been impacted during the COVID-19 crisis.) 
 
This work by the Navigation Team to combat the spread of COVID-19 has included supporting its Seattle Human Service Department (HSD) and King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) partners with the opening of new shelter spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness. Navigation Team members have assisted with the set-up and operation of Fisher Pavilion and Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center, Miller Community Center, and Garfield Community Center. 
 
In addition to fighting the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable people living unsheltered, the Navigation Team has been helping address the recent increase in the number of hepatitis A cases in Seattle. Partnering with Public Health Seattle King County (PHSKC), the Navigation Team has  conducted outreach in impacted areas, providing hepatitis A information and coordinating vaccines. This work is ongoing and will continue in support of PHSKC’s response to hepatitis A.  
 
The Navigation remains one of the City’s front-line responses and its continued work supports the Human Services Department Continuity of Operations Plan, which requires continued efforts to support people living unsheltered during a crisis. 

Today, the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) announced the opening of Cherry Hill – Spirit Village (T.C. Spirit Village), a tiny house village in the Central District with 25 units for people currently living unsheltered. The new tiny house village is the eighth location of its kind and expands on resources the City has deployed to mitigate against the spread of COVID 19.  

The program is sponsored and named after the Christ Spirit Church and located on the church’s property.  

The Cherry Hill – Spirit Village (T.C. Spirit Village) will provide safe shelter spaces, access to hygiene services, and case management throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis for individuals experiencing homelessness. Although this project was already under development prior to the public health crisis, with the Mayor’s emergency powers, the village was established and opened months ahead of schedule to meet this need.

The City’s Navigation Team will coordinate all referrals at the Cherry Hill – Spirit Village (T.C. Spirit Village) and will partner with the Chief Seattle Club and Seattle Indian Health Center to ensure that Native and First Nation clients are also served by the village.  

“In the midst of this public health crisis, assisting those who are the most vulnerable among us has been even more critical. With unemployment skyrocketing, we have worked to ensure more people aren’t falling into homelessness – it is why I moved quickly to halt all residential evictions, invest in a rent relief fund, and provide grocery vouchers,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “For our neighbors experiencing homelessness who are currently sheltered, we’ve prioritized standing up de-intensifying shelters with expanded services and worked with providers to ensure they have the resources they need like personal protective equipment for staff. For those living unsheltered, we’ve made investments in opening more hygiene service locations, and with today’s announcements, more people will have a bed to sleep on. We know that we cannot scale to the need of this crisis without significant efforts by the state and federal government to help the City address the true scale of our housing and homelessness crisis.”  

This village—and all City-funded villages—are practicing public health guidelines and social distancing to curb potential exposure to COVID-19.  The City is partnering with the Chief Seattle Club and Seattle Indian Health Center to ensure that Native and First Nation clients are served by the village, and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) will operate the new village and continues to be the operator for all of the City’s tiny house villages. Referrals to the village will be done through the Navigation Team, which refers people living in unmanaged encampments to the City-funded tiny house villages. The team will partner with outreach workers and day centers to connect their clients to a shelter that provides a tiny home, 24/7 access, hygiene facilities, a kitchen, case management, and housing connections. The village will be in place for at least two years.  

The tiny house village program is one the most effective sheltering models, proven to safely shelter people and connect individuals to permanent housing. The opening of Cherry Hill – Spirit Village brings the number of City-funded villages to eight, sheltering approximately 230 individuals (the Northlake Village not included in these figures). Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the tiny house village program overall saw a 34% exit rate to permanent housing—one of the highest performing shelter to housing programs the City funds.