The City of Seattle announced a number of steps today to further expand hygiene services, add new shelter spaces, and continue outreach to people experiencing homelessness. This expansion of resources is a continuation of ongoing work by the City and County to bring critically needed resources to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and the City of Seattle’s response efforts, the Human Services Department has had to shift some of our previously published investments slated for 2020 and have postponed them to 2021.
In addition to the creation of new 24/7 shelters with access to hygiene services and places for individuals experiencing homelessness to stay who have and are recovering from COVID-19, the City of Seattle announced yesterday the continued expansion of hygiene services for people experiencing homelessness. Building on the previously announced resources, eight new hygiene stations will be deployed and two hygiene trailers will be positioned in areas where individuals experiencing homelessness can be best served.
Since before the COVID-19 outbreak reached King County, the City has taken measures to ensure those with and without shelter have the resources they need to stay safe. Building on that work, yesterday the City of Seattle announced the opening of a temporary de-intensifying shelter at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, creating 79 new spaces for current shelter clients. The Fisher Pavilion shelter will serve clients from Salvation Army’s overnight-only City Hall shelters. With the opening of this new facility, the Salvation Army and its clients will be able to better follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The shelter also provides space at Fisher Pavilion for people to safely shelter.
Building on announcements made earlier in the week, yesterday morning Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the deployment and maintenance of six hygiene facilities throughout the City, which augment the more than 128 Seattle Parks comfort stations that remain open for hygiene needs. This expansion of resources is a continuation of ongoing work by the City and County to bring critically needed resources to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning today, the City will deploy and maintain 14 toilets and 6 handwashing stations near City Hall Park, Lake City Community Center, Jefferson Park, Westcrest Park, Cal Anderson Park, and Benvenuto Viewpoint. All areas are in close proximity to individuals experiencing homelessness. This is in addition to the more than 128 locations in parks throughout the City, available to all residents, and are currently being serviced by Seattle Parks and Recreation. The new facilities will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days per week. Daily maintenance will be provided including sharps disposal, waste removal and supplemental cleaning.
To help the public locate food resources available during this COVID-19 public health emergency, an interactive map has been developed by the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department. This map shows the locations of Food Banks, Meals, and Student To-Go Meals, and can be filtered by status with options to reflect those open, those with limited operations, and those whose status is unknown.
Facing an unprecedented public health crisis, the City of Seattle and King County announced yesterday that we are working with partners across the region to create additional shelter space and a range of temporary housing options for people who are unable to isolate and recover in their own homes, or… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle has been working to provide more resources for people living unsheltered leading up to and during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The City’s Human Services Department (HSD) has been in close partnership with the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), Public Health Seattle King County (PHSKC), and City departments to stand up critical resources and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Over on the King County Department of Community and Health Services blog, Cultivating Connections, yesterday’s entry details how in response to COVID-19 three agencies are closely coordinating efforts and collaborating to support King County residents experiencing homelessness: Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) and its Healthcare for the Homeless Network (HCHN) and Environment Health Division; King County through the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), Facilities Management Division (FMD), and METRO; and the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD). Coordinated efforts focus on: Supporting existing homeless services providers to maintain capacity and care for people experiencing homelessness Hygiene and sanitation to prevent or slow the spread of the virus, including provider training and centralized supply purchasing and distribution Response plan for assistance for people who become sick with COVID-19 who cannot care for themselves in home settings Siting and staffing facilities for quarantine, isolation and congregate recovery—for all who cannot care for themselves in home settings, including people experiencing homelessness.
The City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) and the Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC) today announced the Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center (301 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109) will be activated as a preventative measure to best align with Public Health Seattle-King County guidance (PHSKC) in response to COVID-19. The Exhibition Hall will open on Monday, March 9. At this time, there are no known COVID-19 cases at the DESC Main Shelter or any other Seattle shelter at the time. This announcement is one of many steps City and County officials are taking to address COVID-19, with more announcements likely in the future. The Exhibition Hall is most often activated during severe weather events and is part of the City’s overall public health response planning. The Exhibition Hall shelter will be available for agency-selected DESC Main Shelter clients—one of the busiest and largest overnight shelters in Seattle serving a high number of vulnerable individuals—in an effort to limit potential COVID-19 exposure. Some individuals from DESC’s Queen Anne shelter may be moved as well. DESC is identifying male clients that can be served at the Exhibition Hall, which will accommodate people that are relatively healthy and able to access services independently. Additionally, the City is taking steps to ensure sanitation and hygiene standards at Seattle shelters are in alignment with updated recommendations from the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) and PHSKC.
