Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Task Force progress reports

post

Update: City Permitted Villages

by

City of Seattle Homeless Response

Seattle continues to address the crisis of homelessness by helping people living unsheltered on the streets and in tents move to safer places and toward a permanent home and better future.

Often, people experiencing chronic homelessness face significant challenges in finding and accepting shelter. These challenges include traumatic or violent life experiences, not being able to safely store valuables, rules against staying with a significant other in shelter and having to move between multiple shelters with no guaranteed bed at night. Further, there are even more barriers for this population in finding the resources and stability to secure housing.

Introduced in winter 2015, tiny house villages (formerly known as sanctioned encampments) play a crucial role in helping the City move unsheltered people from dangerous conditions on the streets and into a more safe and supportive environment. City permitted tiny house villages are designed to meet this need by offering transitional safer spaces that provide services and support stability and get people on a path to stable housing. Spaces in tiny home villages represent approximately 12.5% of all shelter beds and safe spaces the City supports and make up less than 3% of all homelessness response investments made by the City of Seattle. Tiny home villages are made possible through significant community and volunteer support as well.

The tiny house village program is just one of the strategies the City of Seattle utilizes in addressing this crisis. The Human Services Department (HSD) has a three-pronged approach to address homelessness:

  1. prevention programs to help stop people from falling into homelessness;
  2. affordable housing programs that help move people on from shelters and villages and that bring more affordable housing online; and
  3. emergency shelter programs that keep un-housed people safe while they search for housing, and shelter programs such as tiny house villages.

Prevention helps people who are housed, but are in imminent danger of becoming homeless, to remain in their homes. Once a person is homeless, they may use onetime funds or services, in a diversion program, to bypass shelter and enter permanent housing, or they may enter emergency services which include shelter, permitted villages, and transitional housing. From emergency services, a person may exit the program to housing using Rapid Rehousing, shorter-term rental subsidy, or Permanent Supportive Housing, which includes intensive support services as well as rental subsidy.

Mayor Jenny Durkan’s recently announced new shelter investments strengthen the impact of these approaches.

Emergency Services – Villages

Emergency services – like shelter programs and villages – play an important role in providing safe spaces for people to stay while they connect with permanent housing.

The City’s trained Navigation Team, which connects people living in unmanaged tent encampments to shelter, reports that tiny house villages are some of the most sought and accepted offers of help. In 2017, the Navigation Team referred over 250 people to tiny house villages. The village model includes individual weather-proofed sleeping structures with electricity that offer a secure space to store belongings, access to showers, restrooms, laundry, a community kitchen, and most importantly, access to professional supportive services.

The Navigation Team has found that they are more likely to convince an individual to accept their offer of shelter and move away from living in a tent on Seattle’s streets by offering a spot within a village.  For many of the tiny house villages, the only way to secure shelter within the village is through a referral from the Navigation Team.

Seattle was one of the first cities in the nation to invest in tiny house villages as transitional spaces to address homelessness. The City has evaluated the program to refine, improve and integrate the tiny house village model into the existing homelessness response system. For example, the City has learned through interviews with people served by the villages that private sleeping structures (tiny houses) provide an invaluable physical space where people can transition from being in survival mode on the streets to reconnecting with community and supportive services. The City also has learned from neighbors and businesses about how the City and tiny house villages can better engage and work with community stakeholders to address challenges and meet common goals.

Lastly, the City provides quarterly reports detailing outcomes from investments made in the homeless response system, including tiny house villages. So far in 2018, the City has found all tiny house villages are at capacity every night, serving over 320 people every night. And, villages with more supportive services have an increased rate of exiting people into permanent housing than other villages.

Below is a summary of current updates, improvements, and community meetings for each City supported tiny house village. Each village is supported by a City-contracted operator, adheres to specific guidelines and hosts regularly scheduled meetings between village residents and community stakeholders through Community Advisory Committees  (CACs). The City–Permitted Villages webpage  contains details about each village to include the code-of-conduct materials, management contact information, names of the CAC members and the minutes for the monthly meeting.

Current Tiny House Villages

Whittier Heights Village 

Located at 8030 15th Ave., Whittier Heights Village is operated and managed by LIHI. It is the newest tiny house village to open and serves up to 20 chronically homeless women who have lived unsheltered for extended periods and also experience disabling medical conditions – including behavioral health and substance use disorders.

Whittier Heights Village is Seattle’s first all-women tiny house village, meeting a need that unsheltered women, service providers and outreach workers have identified. LIHI provides extensive case management and supportive services for the residents in Whittier Heights Village and offers access to showers, bathrooms and laundry on-site. The village opened in May 2018 with 16 tiny houses and has supported a slow ramp-up to allow women to adjust to this new space. 

Licton Springs Village

Located at 8620 Aurora Ave. N., the village is operated by Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), and managed daily by SHARE/WHEEL. Licton Springs Village was designed to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Seattle. Most of the residents of Licton Springs Village have experienced homelessness for years and even decades at a time, and some experience chronic substance use disorder, mental health, and behavioral conditions.

Developing intensive supportive services for such a vulnerable population has presented challenges for residents, service providers, and neighbors. Currently, the village has full-time intensive case management, access to medical services, showers, bathrooms, on-site laundry and meal service once a day.

Based on feedback from neighbors in Licton Springs, LIHI is implementing an improvement plan that is designed to better serve both village residents and surrounding community members. Improvements, which will be evaluated by the City contract team in August, include moving and narrowing the entry gate to provide better security, improved fencing, replacing dorm tents with tiny houses, reducing possession hoarding on-site, improved hypodermic needle containment and disposal, better hand washing stations, increased perimeter clean-ups and security, increased rodent abatement and installation of additional lighting. These improvements will help to inform decisions around continuation of the village at this site.

Northlake Village

Located at 3814 Fourth Ave. NE, the village is operated by LIHI and managed daily by Nickelsville.

Northlake Village is one of the original permitted villages. It operated as Nickelsville Ballard off Market Street from November 2015 through March 2018. The new village has 20 tiny houses, a hygiene trailer with plumbed toilets, showers and laundry. A LIHI case manager works with residents to identify and address their barriers to obtaining housing. The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) recently began its work and has already shown strong support for the village. Community members hosted a July 4th barbeque for residents and neighbors.

Interbay – TC-5 Safe Harbor

Located at 1601 15th Ave. W. on property owned by the Port of Seattle, the village is operated by LIHI and formerly managed by SHARE/WHEEL. The Interbay-Tent City 5 village was originally located at 3234 17th Ave W. and successfully operated from November 2015 through November 2017. This was also one of the original tiny house villages launched by the City of Seattle and currently serves 50 people on an average per night.

Recently, residents of the village approached LIHI to take on daily management. LIHI has and continues to provide case management to aid in residents’ housing searches. In addition to full time case management, LIHI will add two staff people to act as site coordinator and manage day-to-day operations. Village residents will work with LIHI staff in leading and managing the village community. To date, Interbay-Tent City 5 has benefited from a strong CAC partnership, which was a driving force in relocating the village near its original location to maintain its strong connection to the neighborhood.

Othello Village

Located at 7544 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., the village is operated by LIHI and managed daily by Nickelsville. Othello Village is the third original permitted encampment and is operating at the current location, which is owned by LIHI, on a month-to-month basis. Othello Village serves adults and families experiencing homelessness and is frequently at capacity. The site offers access to showers, bathrooms and on-site laundry.

The Othello CAC, which provides a strong community voice, has stated that LIHI and Nickelsville have consistently addressed community concerns and complaints. The City will host a community meeting on Aug. 16 to hear about the accomplishments of the village and to begin discussions around the feasibility of allowing the village to remain at the site until the property is developed into affordable housing in 2020.’

Georgetown Village

Located at 1020 S. Myrtle St., the village is operated by LIHI and managed daily by Nickelsville. Georgetown Village serves adults and families experiencing homelessness, most of whom come directly from unsanctioned encampments through the City’s Navigation Team. Georgetown Village provides safe living spaces, including access to showers, bathrooms and laundry for 65 people per night on average. Residents also have access to case management services to assist with housing searches. The Georgetown Village opened in March 2017 and has an active and supportive CAC. 

Camp Second Chance – Myers Way

Located at 9701 Myers Way S., the village is operated by LIHI and managed daily by leadership at Camp Second Chance. Camp Second Chance (C2C) is the only tiny house village in the West Seattle region and serves, on average, 50 people per night. Residents have access to case management services, portable toilets and hand washing stations. Union Gospel Mission provides a regularly scheduled hygiene trailer that visits C2C as well. From its opening at this location in March 2017, the Camp Second Chance CAC meets regularly to support the residents and address neighbor concerns.  

New Tiny House Villages

Lake Union Village

The potential village is planned for 800 Aloha St. in South Lake Union and is the first village to be located in the downtown region, meeting a critical need in the area. Lake Union Village is part of Mayor Durkan’s plan to expand capacity at shelters and villages to serve an additional 500 people per night. Site preparation is underway and the City anticipates the village will open in October.  

It will host 22 tiny houses. LIHI will operate the site and Lifelong will provide case management to assist residents in finding permanent housing.

 True Hope Village

Located in the Central District at 1714 E Yesler Way in the Central District, True Hope Village is sponsored by two churches, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church. The two churches and LIHI will support case management and other community resources for people living in 35 tiny houses at this property. Outreach organizations that work with unsheltered people will provide referrals into this village, including referrals for homeless students seeking to enroll in local vocational school programs. Partner organizations include the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Seattle Vocational Institute, Seattle Indian Center, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church, LIHI and the Navigation Team.  

True Hope Village opened in September of this year.

The Human Services Department will continue to monitor the performance outcomes of the permitted village program and report the results quarterly.

post

Frequently Asked Questions: Lake Union Village

by

The City of Seattle hosted a community meeting on Thursday, June 28 to discuss the proposed  Lake Union Village. This post contains answers to questions that were asked at that meeting.

How might pursuing tiny house villages impact the City’s federal (HUD) funding?

Even though tiny house villages serve similar functions as emergency shelters do- such as reducing the number of individuals living in unsanctioned encampments, increasing safety and access to hygiene facilities, and connecting individuals with services and supports to help them end their homelessness- HUD does not count tiny house villages as ‘shelter’. This means that residents of tiny house villages are still part of Seattle’s unsheltered persons count.

HUD expects cities to actively work to reduce the number of unsheltered individuals from year-to-year. In the near-term, residents of tiny house villages will have a neutral impact on Seattle’s unsheltered count. Residents are considered unsheltered prior to entering the village, and they are still considered unsheltered while staying in the village. Over the longer-term, as village residents receive services and supports to access permanent housing, these individuals will then be counted as housed, which will reflect positively on Seattle from HUD’s perspective

How is the City accountable in the usage of taxpayer funds when homeless people aren’t tested for drugs when they move into villages, apply for housing or are in housing?

Being homeless and living unsheltered makes it extremely difficult for people to access addiction treatment, mental health care, physical health care, food and hygiene services, employment services, and case management to end their homelessness.

Nationwide, cities that are demonstrating a reduction in unsheltered homelessness have adopted a model called Housing First. Under Housing First principles, permanent housing is the first priority for homeless people. Once housed, people are more successful in treating and managing other conditions, including behavioral health disorders and substance use disorders. Housing First is a cost-effective service-delivery model that aligns with good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. HSD uses housing first principles to make investments in the homeless services system.

To measure the effectiveness of the City’s investments in homeless services, HSD looks at five performance metrics. These performance measures, which are also used by King County and United Way, work together to ensure accountability and results for the public dollars that are supporting homeless response projects. The results help HSD determine whether programs are using all available resources to assist people in connecting to stable housing and shelter.

HSD presented the first quarter results of 2018 to the City Council on June 26, 2018. Overall, the homeless services programs that receive city funding are more effective in connecting clients to housing in Q1 2018 as compared to Q1 2017. In the first quarter, there were 3,030 household exits from homeless services programs that receive city funding. This is an increase of 1,241 household exits over the first quarter of 2017.

Permitted villages offer safer spaces to stay for over 320 people per night. In Q1 2018, the villages have an exit rate to permanent housing of 17%. This puts the villages slightly below enhanced shelter in connecting clients to housing (20.5% exit rate to housing) and above basic shelter (3.8% exit rate of housing). HSD looks forward to reviewing a full six months of data and results in the second quarter review. You can watch the video of that presentation here.

HSD is pleased that programs have shown improved performance, however more people are falling into homelessness than are connecting to stable housing. In response to the scope of the homelessness crisis, Mayor Durkan has proposed the expansion of shelter and village capacity by 25% so that we can provide safer living conditions for people living unsheltered and for the community at large.

How can community members express their concerns about this project?

The humanitarian crisis unfolding on Seattle streets impact all communities, in every neighborhood across the city. To better help reduce the number of vulnerable people living unsheltered, Mayor Jenny Durkan and City Council committed to this project as one way to get people into safer shelter, decrease the public health impacts of unsheltered homelessness, and increase the City’s ability to support people in ending their homelessness.

HSD’s role is to bring the project online, in partnership with the contracted provider (LIHI) and other City Departments. At all stages of project implementation community input can and does shape project design and can help address neighborhood needs. Community members are encouraged to reach out to the Human Services Department at homelessness@seattle.gov to ask questions, express support, or express concerns about the Lake Union Village. Neighbors interested in volunteering at the site or donating items are encouraged to reach out to LIHI at jcastle@LIHI.org.

What can be done to deter homeless people from outside this area from moving to Seattle?

The idea that Seattle’s challenges with homelessness are caused by an influx of people from outside the regions is untrue. A 2016 survey of just over 1,000 individuals living unsheltered in Seattle indicated that 49% of respondents were living in Seattle immediately prior to becoming homeless. An additional 36% of respondents reported living in wider King County or other Washington Counties immediately prior to becoming homeless.

The vast majority of individuals experiencing homelessness reported moving to Seattle for the same reasons the rest of the population does; having family/friends living in Seattle (35%), or for a local job (34%). The Evergrey recently addressed this here.

Can we reserve Seattle’s homeless services dollars only for those people who were living in Seattle immediately prior to becoming homeless?

It’s not possible to restrict Seattle homeless services dollars to those people who were living in Seattle immediately prior to becoming homeless. Since most homeless services in Seattle are designed to transition people from homelessness to housing, this would put the City in violation of federal and local fair housing laws. It would also leave vulnerable individuals who are living outdoors without any access services, including medically fragile individuals, those with significant mental health care needs, and families with young children.

What can be done about street lighting around Aloha/Dexter and the adjacent park? 

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) does light analysis on arterial streets and Seattle City Light (SCL) does light analysis on non-arterials. An analysis was recently completed, and updates were made in the neighborhood around the Lake Union Village site. According to SCL this neighborhood has the brightest arterial lights in the city. If community members believe additional remedies are needed they can make a request through the City’s Customer Service Bureau  or through the City’s Find It, Fix It mobile app.

How does SPD respond to crime problems in neighborhoods that host villages and what are the crime stats for these neighborhoods?

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 appropriate.

Neighborhood-specific crime data is located on the Seattle Police Department website.

What is the progressive discipline process for people who violate the code of conduct?

Progressive discipline provides a graduated range of responses to individuals struggling to adhere to village guidelines. The goal of progressive discipline is to support individuals in being able to successfully stay at the village. LIHI case managers tailor their responses to behavior challenges to the type of infraction that’s been committed. On the low-end, this can include verbal reminders of the expectations and offering support to individuals in making the necessary behavior modifications. At the high-end, individuals can be permanently barred from the village.

What is the difference between how Licton Springs operates and how this village will operate?

The primary difference between Licton Springs and Lake Union Village is that Licton Springs is designed to be a safe space for residents with severe substance use disorders to live with the expectation that these residents will actively use drugs or alcohol. While Lake Union Village will accept residents with substance use disorders, the Code of Conduct prohibits use in public spaces. At each village residents receive case management to address housing barriers to housing, including referrals to substance abuse treatment.

Are there quiet hours for the village?

Yes. Quiet hours will be maintained from 9pm-8am.

Why not use this site for affordable housing?

Increasing affordable housing is a goal of the City’s. Given the length of time it takes to develop housing, it’s essential that we pursue a variety of short, medium, and longer-term strategies to meet the needs of our community. With thousands of our Seattle neighbors living outside, tiny house villages are able to make use of available City land to quickly address safety and housing needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.

When will the next evaluation of the tiny house villages come out?

The 2018 evaluation of tiny house villages is scheduled to be completed in August. Read the 2017 evaluation here.

What is the timeline for the village?

The goal is to begin resident intakes by mid-to-late August.

Does the City differentiate between transients and homeless people?

Seattle uses the HUD categories/definitions of homelessness;

* literally homeless

* imminent risk of homelessness

* homeless under other federal statutes

* and fleeing/attempting to flee domestic violence.

Read detailed descriptions of these definitions here.

Will people be allowed to use drugs or alcohol inside the tiny houses?

Smoking of any kind is not allowed inside the tiny houses and drug and alcohol use will not be permitted in community areas. LIHI will not search tiny houses or people for drug or alcohol use or paraphernalia.

Case managers will work with each resident on addressing their unique housing-related barriers such as employment, health needs, mental health needs, substance use, etc.

All residents are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct at the Lake Union Village.

What is the success rate of the villages in terms of moving people out of homelessness and into permanent housing?

In the first quarter of 2018, Seattle’s permitted village program shows a rate of exits to permanent housing of 17%. Villages with the most supportive services had higher rates of exits. Lake Union Village will have case management and supportive services in line with these villages. HSD will continue to review quarterly performance data for the village program.

How does the City use community input on projects like this, especially once the decision has been made to move forward?

The City uses four models/types of community engagement: informing, consulting, collaborating, and shared decision-making. The particular type of engagement that is used depends on several factors including the urgency of the project, council or legislative action that may have already taken place, and the needs of the community.

Once a decision has been made, and throughout the life of a project, community engagement continues to be important. Community feedback helps guide and inform project-specific policies and procedures, identify areas of concern, and prompts the City to seek remedies or resolutions to ensure that the project is successful for the neighborhood and other key stakeholders.

To provide input on the Lake Union Village project please email homelessness@seattle.gov. All input received becomes part of the public record for this project and will be used to help inform project design.

What will the fence height be?

The current 8’ chain link fence will stay in place. A fabric visual barrier will be added to it for privacy.

Will the Village provide for sharps containment and removal?

Yes, there will be sharps containers on site. The containers will be managed by Seattle/King County Public Health’s mobile medical van which will make regular visits to the village.

Will there be planters and other decorative features at this site?

There will be porches and planters at this site. Neighbors can donate materials and/or volunteer to help with site projects like plantings by contacting Josh at jcastle@LIHI.org.

Will residents be screened for active warrants and sex offender status before becoming residents of this village?

Potential residents will be screened for sex offender status. Individuals on the sex offender registry will not be permitted to be residents of the Lake Union Village.

Potential residents will not be screened for active warrants. Access to stable housing has been shown to increase community safety. Criminal and civil records are often cited as barriers to housing and factors in driving people to homelessness. Lake Union Village’s goal is to help people quickly end their homelessness, get the support and services they need, and enter permanent housing.

Permanent housing has been shown to significantly reduce recidivism rates for new convictions, revocations, and readmission to prison.

post

Frequently Asked Questions: Proposed South Lake Union Village

by

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.

post

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

by

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

post

City extends permit for Camp Second Chance on Myers Way

by

The Human Services Department (HSD) is extending the permit for the Myers Way (also known as Camp Second Chance) permitted village to remain at 9701 Myers Way South for an additional 12 months, until March 2019.

HSD considered the following criteria in making this decision:

  1. Is the program meeting the performance measures as described in the City contract?
    1. Number of unduplicated homeless individuals/families that meet their emergency or immediate shelter needs
    2. Percentage of homeless households who exit to permanent housing
  2. Does the property exhibit physical deterioration that could pose a serious threat to the residents, neighbors or long-term uses?
  3. Are there significant unforeseen impacts on the surrounding community that are directly attributed to the presence of the permitted encampment village?

The HSD contracted site operator, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), is required to utilize the Seattle-King County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to collect program level data. Since March 2017, when it received a city permit, 139 people who had been living unsheltered have been served at Camp Second Chance. In addition, the data shows that 26% of people who have left the Camp, exited to move into permanent housing.

HSD, in conjunction with other city entities, has determined the property at 9701 Myers Way South is not exhibiting physical deterioration, and the property is safely hosting this village.

Camp Second Chance is operating well at this location and should remain in place for an additional 12-months.

Frequently Asked Questions about Myers Way/Camp Second Chance Permitted Village:

Who operates Camp Second Chance?

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) contracts with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) to operate seven permitted villages across the City. LIHI works with the leadership at Camp Second Chance to manage the daily operations at the Camp. LIHI ensures that security measures are followed and that residents have access to resources that meet their fundamental needs, in addition to supporting a case manager who helps residents connect to housing.

What rules do the residents of Camp Second Chance have to follow?

               Camp Second Chance is required to operate under two HSD approved plans. The management plan outlines program rules, resident code of conduct and rights, security and public health protocol, partner decision-making, coordination and communication, data collection procedures, and community relations. The service plan describes the case management and referral procedures to help residents access on and offsite resources.

How much does it cost to operate Camp Second Chance?

HSD contributes $936,000 toward the annual operating costs of three permitted villages – Camp Second Chance, Licton Springs and Georgetown. HSD’s contribution towards Camp Second Chance is almost $200,000 in 2018.

How does the City measure the effectiveness of permitted villages?

HSD contracts with LIHI to provide safer spaces to live for unsheltered people and to help people connect to housing while living in villages. Camp Second Chance served 139 households in 2017 and assisted 26% of households that exited the camp to enter permanent housing.

HSD looks at five performance measures , which partners King County and United Way of King County also use,  when analyzing the effectiveness of our investments. These performance measures help HSD determine whether the system is efficient, providing good services, and helping the most in need. In the first quarter of 2018, Seattle’s permitted villages were at capacity, indicating that permitted villages are working to accommodate as many clients as they can every night. HSD will continue to monitor the outcomes of all its investments in the homeless services system.

What can the City do to address the conditions at the unmanaged tent encampments that are in the greenbelt across from Camp Second Chance?

 As neighbors know, people have lived unsheltered in the greenbelt along Myers Way for many years. As the crisis of homelessness has grown in Seattle, so have unmanaged tent encampments across the City, including Myers Way.

Clean-ups at unmanaged encampments are prioritized based on public health and safety conditions. The City also takes into consideration documented criminal behavior and obstructing use of public space, like blocking a sidewalk or sleeping in a picnic table shelter in a park, as part of this prioritization. Upon receiving reports, specially trained Navigation Team staff visit the site to assess the conditions. Encampments are then scheduled for removal based on the totality of conditions observed within the encampment.

The steep incline and soft soil conditions of the Myers Way greenbelt make it difficult to fully remove debris and waste during the fall and winter months. To address the conditions of the unmanaged encampments in the greenbelt, the City has taken the following actions:

  • The Navigation Team, a cohort of police officers and homeless outreach workers, has visited a site near the SR-509 service road and WSDOT drainage system weekly since February 2018 to perform outreach. One person chose to move to the permitted encampment in Georgetown.
  • WSDOT and the City of Seattle cleaned an accessible portion of this encampment to address conditions associated with increased flood risks in early March. The City works closely with WSDOT at a variety of sites, both to take advantage of WSDOT crews and to address WSDOT operational concerns.
  • Seattle Public Utilities has picked up garbage weekly at unmanaged encampments along Myers Way since May 2017.
  • Councilmember Herbold joined the Navigation Team on an outreach visit in the greenbelt in March.
  • The Navigation Team and WSDOT are monitoring the condition of the encampments and the ability of cleanup crews to work safely on the muddy slopes. Cleanup will proceed when conditions are reliably safe for this work.

City staff will continue to assess unmanaged encampment sites and prioritize clean up based on their health and safety conditions.

 

post

City of Seattle hosts South Lake Union community meeting on tiny house villages

by

Dozens of South Lake Union neighbors participated in a community meeting on Thursday, May 31, to hear about tiny house villages as part of the City of Seattle’s response to unsheltered homelessness. Representatives from the City’s Human Services Department (HSD), Navigation Team and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) participated in a panel discussion with interested neighbors.

The City currently hosts seven permitted villages in Othello (7544 MLK Jr. Way S.); Northlake (3814 4th Ave. NE); West Seattle (9701 Myers Way); Interbay (1601 15th Ave. W.); Georgetown (1000 S. Myrtle St.); Licton Springs (8620 Nesbit Ave N.) and Whittier Heights (8030 15th Ave. NW), which offer a safer location to live for more than 300 people on any given night.

As part of her plan to address the crisis of homelessness in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan has proposed a new permitted village in South Lake Union (800 Aloha St) which could provide tiny homes, hygiene services, and access to case management for over 50 people every night. The decision to site a village in South Lake Union is subject to site testing and approval by the Seattle City Council. Mayor Durkan transmitted legislation for the Council to consider on Friday, June 1.

What’s Next:

  1. The City will conduct air quality testing at the site this week as part of assessing the feasibility of a Village at this location
  • To ensure that the site at 800 Aloha St can safely host a village, the City will conduct air quality testing.
  • On Tuesday, June 5, one tiny home will arrive on site.
  • The City will conduct tests this week and will remove the structure when the tests have been completed.
  1. The City Council will consider Mayor Durkan’s plan to build safer places for over 500 people experiencing homelessness in Seattle
  • Mayor Durkan transmitted legislation to the Council on June 1 to consider her plan to build safer places for over 500 people in Seattle. Her plan includes:
    • A South Lake Union Village
    • Expanding shelter at City Hall to serve an additional 120 people per night
    • Creating a bridge housing project for 100 people
  1. Attend the next community meeting on Thursday, June 28
  • The City will host a second meeting to respond to questions asked and receive input from neighbors about the proposed South Lake Union Village.
  • The meeting will be at 415 Westlake from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m on Thursday, June 28.

The City of Seattle is coming together to help our neighbors living unsheltered move into safer places, toward a permanent home and better future. Learn more about Mayor Durkan’s approach to helping people experiencing homelessness here.

post

Human Services Department releases 2018 first quarter results from investments

by

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

post

Efforts to clean-up trash and syringes

by

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.
post

Mayor Durkan to increase Seattle’s Bridge Housing and shelter capacity by 25 percent to bring more people inside

by

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.”

 
image

Update: Northlake sanctioned encampment

by

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.