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City of Seattle Nightly Severe Weather Shelters Open at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and Compass Housing Pioneer Square to Serve People Experiencing Homelessness

by on December 22, 2021

**Click here for a new post with the latest info and updated flyer (12/30/2021 – 1/2/2022)

*Post last updated on 1/3/2022

Severe weather shelters are closing on 1/3/2022. Together, with contracted severe weather shelter providers and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, the City was able to make sure that on approximately 2,100 (duplicated) occasions between December 25th and January 3rd, people in our community didn’t have to sleep outside in severe cold, snow, and freezing temperatures.

In anticipation of increasing low temperatures and potential snow over the coming days, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), will open emergency Severe Weather Shelters from Saturday, December 25th through Wednesday, December 29th. Forecasts will be monitored to assess emergency shelter needs for people experiencing homelessness beyond the morning of Thursday the 30th.

The Salvation Army and Compass Housing Alliance will manage operations and staffing, with support from city staff and partners.

The shelters, located at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and Compass Housing Alliance Shelter in Pioneer Square, will open nightly at 7pm starting December 25th. They will continue operations through Wednesday, December 29th, providing an additional 180 – 200 emergency shelter spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness.

  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall – Operated by Salvation Army
    • 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109
      • Enter though main entrance off Mercer Street and go down the stairs. Serves 150 people, all genders, 18+ years, non-aggressive leashed dogs and cats under owner control allowed. The Seattle Center campus hygiene station will be accessible. The Armory opens daily at 10am for day warming.
      • Served directly by Metro Bus routes 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 28, RapidRide E Line, and nearby routes include: 1, 13, and RapidRide D Line.
  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Compass Housing Alliance Shelter in Pioneer Square
    • 210 Alaskan Way South, Seattle, WA 98104
      • Enter at the corner of So. Washington and Alaskan Way. Serves 80+ people, all genders, 18+ years, service animals only at this location. Day Center also available at this location.
      • Served by nearby public transit services (1-3 blocks away): Seattle Streetcar, Link Light Rail, routes 21, 29, 55, 56, 57, 101, 102, 111, 113, 114, 120, 121, 115, 150, 162, 177, 190, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 550, 554, RapidRide C, ST 590, ST 592, ST 594, ST 595, ST 577, ST 578, PT 410, PT, 415, PT 417, PT 422, PT 424, and Washington State Ferries.
  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle)
    • 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 (enter on 5th Ave).
      • Open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm as needed through January 2, 2022.  Meals by Operation Sack Lunch, Occupancy: 25-30 guests.  
  • West Seattle (Operated by American Legion Post 160 and faith-based network volunteers) 
    • 3618 Southwest Alaska Street, Seattle, WA 98126, 206-932-9696  
      • Occupancy: 16 guests, adults 18+, now open 24/7 through severe weather
  • God’s Lil Acre (Operated by Lake City Partners). 
    • 12517 33rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
      • Night shelter open 9pm – 9am, day center open 9am – 5pm, Occupancy: 15-20 guests
  • Seattle Mennonite Church (Operated by Lake City Partners). 
    • 3120 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125, 206-361-4630
      • Night shelter opens starting 12/26, 9pm – 9am, Occupancy: 25-35 guests    

Emergency shelter spaces will follow COVID-19 safety and screening protocols for guests, including added air filtration, physical distancing, and increased sanitation and hygiene. Providers will also follow public health isolation protocols for any symptomatic guests.

Community members seeking places to come inside during the day are encouraged to utilize public spaces available for all, such as Seattle Public Libraries and the Seattle Center Armory. Day centers (including the one operated by Compass Housing in Pioneer Square), existing programs open and offering support year-round for people experiencing homelessness. Year-round service provider day centers are identified on City’s Hygiene Map, which can be filtered to show day center locations across the city. HSD will continue to share updated lists as additional day and center or warming locations are identified by agencies involved in emergency response functions.  

City coordinated warming locations open for severe weather this December:

Daytime Warming Locations

Note: As of January, 2, 2022, many severe weather day warming locations closed. The following locations no longer offer daytime warming center functions and have closed or returned to normal operations as of 1/2/2022

  • Day warming has ended at Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Seattle Urban League)
    • Address: 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.
    • Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (overnight shelter 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
  • Day warming has ended at International District/Chinatown Community Center
    • Address: 719 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104.
    • Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday (Jan. 1): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (5 p.m. is normal closing); Sunday (Jan. 2): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Magnuson Park Building #406
    • Hours: Monday and Tuesday 12 noon to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday (Jan. 1) and Sunday (Jan. 2): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Northgate Community Center
    • Address: 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Phone: 206-386-4823
    • Hours: M-F: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday (Jan. 1) 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed), Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Rainier Beach Community Center
    • Address: 8825 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. Phone: 206-386-1925
    • Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday (Dec. 31) 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally 6:30 p.m.), Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm. 206-386-1925 NOTE: Rainer Beach Community Center will be CLOSED Saturday and Sunday 1/1 – 1/2/2022
  • Day warming has ended at Lake City Community Center (added on 12/30)
    • Address: 12531 28th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125.
    • Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Note: as of Thursday, December 30th, all Seattle Parks programs and facilities will be closed except for the Parks operated warming centers listed above. Seattle Public Libraries: All library branches will be closed today 12/30, but plan to open tomorrow, 12/31.

If you are in need of shelter, call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274. The King County Regional Homelessness Authority Cold Weather Shelter notice provides addition resources and guidance. Parents or guardians caring for one or more child 18 years or younger can get help identifying emergency shelter by calling the Coordinated Family Intake Line at 206-245-1026 between 8am – 11:30pm, 365-days a year. In addition, the YWCA’s women and family shelter intake line can be reached at 206-461-4882. For an emergency, call 9-1-1.

The Homelessness Outreach and Provider Ecosystem (HOPE) Team is coordinating outreach and shelter referrals into the City’s temporary severe weather shelters, and other City funded shelters, in partnership with our contracted outreach providers. The HOPE Team, along with SPD and SPR staff members, will also help people connect to transportation options for individuals travelling to shelter locations. Available staff from the Seattle Fire Department’s Health One team will conduct welfare visits to people living unsheltered and support efforts to distribute weather supplies including handwarmers, emergency blankets, hats, and gloves, and to share shelter location information.

Severe weather operation and response updates from other HSD Divisions include:

  • Home Delivered Meal programs are tracking the weather and coordinating any delivery changes with drivers and clients to ensure all clients have sufficient meals during the weather event.
  • Medicaid case management program staff have been alerted to weather issues that could impact clients through the holiday weekend and into next week. Updated case lists will be distributed to assist teams with identifying and contacting clients most in need of planning and resources.
  • Other aging network programs, including Senior Centers and Congregate Meals programs, have been operating hybrid models (in-person, virtual, delivery) due to the pandemic. Severe weather and holiday schedules may impact operations.

The City and HSD have been working hard to stand up new 24/7 enhanced shelters and tiny house villages over the fall and winter, opening 350 new non-congregate shelter spaces in the last three months alone. The City anticipates funding over 2,800 total shelter spaces by the end of the year, a 700-shelter unit increase over last year’s levels (Q4 2020). Additionally, 92% of City-funded shelter spaces are now 24/7 enhanced with wraparound onsite services – this compares to 75% pre-pandemic (Q4 2019).

Emergency Severe Weather Shelter Guests:

Shelter Census 12/25 12/26 12/27 12/28 12/29 12/30 12/31 1/1 1/2 Total 
Compass Housing 28 81 54 51 55 53 41  *21  32 416
Exhibition Hall 59 107 132 142 142 134 118  157 130 1,121
City Hall X X 30 52 55 70 62  68 *60 397
West Seattle X X 12 11 11 16 15  18 15 98
Seattle Mennonite Church X 10 14 15 13 10 6  7 9 84
God’s Lil Acre X 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0
Totals 87 198 242 271 276 283 242  271 246 2,116
(duplicated)
Capacity 180 265 351 371 371 371 371  379 379 
* Indicates a preliminary count that may be updated later as it was taken prior to midnight instead of the morning of closure
Filed Under: Homelessness