Human Interests Blog Human Services

Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

HSD Announces Results of Homeless Investments to Serve American Indians/Alaska Natives RFP

by

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the 2020 Homeless Investments to Serve American Indians/Alaska Natives Request for Proposal (RFP) that closed on March 24. The RFP sought applications from agencies interested in providing services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) homeless individuals.

Homeless Native American man facing camera with blanket on his shoulders
Photo Credit: David Entrikin

This RFP guides the investment of approximately $1M available per Council Budget Action (CBA) HOM-10-B-2 to specifically support this community; and funding is intended to result in permanent housing exits. $395,000 of the $1M is one-time only (2020) funding, and the remaining $605,000 is expected to be renewed in 2021. In addition, a minimum of $375,000 of the $1M must be used for Rapid Re-Housing. This $375,000 is ongoing funding.

HSD received seven applications that were reviewed and rated by a diverse review committee that included American Indians/Alaska Natives and people with lived experience of homelessness. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, raters reviewed all applications remotely and met via Skype to review their scores.

The rating committee recommended funding multiple proposals from two agencies:

  • Chief Seattle Club
  • United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

The funding will support a number of activities such as Rapid Re-Housing, Homelessness Prevention, Day Center/Diversion services, and Outreach resources.

Located in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district, Chief Seattle Club provides a safe and sacred place to rest, revive, and nurture the spirit of urban Native people in need. They are proud to serve Native adults 18 years and over, offering two hot meals a day; health and wellness services; housing case management; an art room; computer, internet, and phone access; and personal hygiene resources, all with support of traditional and cultural practices.

“If you’re Native and live in Seattle you are ten times more likely to be homeless; every night there are about 1,100 American Indian/Alaska Natives experiencing homelessness. As a home away from home, our urban Native relatives come to Chief Seattle Club for help, food, and traditional support,” said Colleen Echohawk, Executive Director. The Chief Seattle Club is very proud of its success in reducing barriers before obtaining housing, but that success means “we have greater demand than we have funding; this is an opportunity to make a substantial change through investment.”

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation has been serving urban Natives in Western Washington since 1970, providing an extensive array of culturally responsive services and programming to Seattle and King County’s urban Native community. The organization began as a small group of Northwest Native Americans and their supporters, led by the late Bernie Whitebear, who occupied Fort Lawton to reclaim a land base for the urban Indians living in and around Seattle. A twenty-acre site was eventually secured for this purpose in what is now Discovery Park.

The Foundation’s mission is “to provide educational, cultural and social services that reconnect Indigenous people in the Puget Sound region to their heritage by strengthening their sense of belonging and significance as Native people.”

COVID-19 & Seattle Human Services’ Mission: To connect people with resources and solutions during times of need

by

Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department continues to live out its mission: To connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities. The work the department does has changed dramatically, with many employees stepping up to meet new challenges, volunteering, and working long hours. Here is a recap of what the team has been up to.  

SHELTER 

Homeless Strategies and Investments staff worked around the clock to set up and staff de-intensifying shelters at community centers, Seattle Center, and with youth providers to help create hundreds of safer spaces for people to stay during the crisis. HSI has also opened more shelter capacity through a new tiny house village, expanding an existing village, and opening an enhanced shelter. These new resources account for at least 95 new spaces for people living unsheltered during COVID-19 and beyond.    

The Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault has also been working with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to understand the root cause behind the increase of reported domestic violence and sexual assault cases and make sure survivors have a safe place to go.   

FEEDING 

Food access is a major barrier for the communities we serve during COVID-19. HSD’s Aging and Disability Services division received nearly $5M of emergency federal funding to feed older adults by shifting congregate meal delivery, expanding home-delivered meal programs, and providing flexible funding to fill other feeding gaps.   

The Youth and Family Empowerment division has been coordinating key staff around the department on feeding plans for the City. This week, the Food Task Force submitted a federal application to receive FEMA funding to help provide thousands of food boxes for food banks.  

Image of the Food Resources Map

To help the public locate food resources available during this public health emergency, an interactive map has been developed by HSD staff. The 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. 

DIRECT SERVICES  

The direct services the department provides during COVID-19 are even more essential during this crisis.  

Between March and April, Youth and Family Empowerment staff, with Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, created a web-based self-certification, or “fast-track,” form for the Utility Discount Program (UDP). Income-eligible residential customers can now access heavily discounted utilities by simply signing a short web form that attests to their household income, without having to provide income documentation for each of their household members. This expansion helped increase the UDP’s enrollment by 27%, with staff moving quickly to process nearly 7,000 new applications. This increase shows how important this critical support is for households during these uncertain economic times. 

The Seattle Youth Employment Program team also had to move quickly to transition over 100 youth to online learning. 

Aging and Disability Services case managers in Seattle and Renton, along with partner agencies, completed wellness calls with almost all 12,000 clients. This was a monumental task that helped us clarify which clients were at greatest risk and needed us to triage in-home care for them. Case managers are also helping transition people out of hospital care faster to help limit a surge in hospitalizations.   

The Navigation Team is one of the few remaining outreach teams working in the field. The team has been focused on outreach seven days a week, distributing 1,600 hygiene kits and 1,400 public health flyers, making over 660 site visits, and making close to 3,000 contacts in the field. The team worked closely with people living unsheltered in Ballard during not only COVID-19, but also a hepatis A outbreak, helping to connect people to vaccines and hygiene services.  

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT  

A special thank you to all HSD employees who were re-deployed to support shelter shifts in the City’s de-intensifying shelters at Miller and Garfield community centers, with many covering multiple shifts per week including weekday, weekend, and overnight shifts. 

Jill Watson manages to connect the myriad efforts at HSD with those happening at the Office of Emergency Management, the County, the State and in the provider network. Great job for helping to get much-needed National Guard support for the city!  

And last but not least, a big thank you to Terri Croft, who made hundreds of face masks for HSD employees to use out in the field. Thank you for helping keep us and the people we serve safer.   

City partners with National Guard to meet growing hunger need during COVID-19

by

**Updated 5/6/2020 with translations

Traducción Española

dịch tiếng Việt

中文翻譯 / 中文翻译

한국어 번역

Tarjumaadda Af-Soomaaliga

የአማርኛ ትርጉም

For many communities facing food insecurity, COVID-19 has made a challenging situation even more difficult with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources.

The City of Seattle is committed to meeting this community need. The Seattle Human Services Department and Office of Sustainability and Environment have been working to find ways to ensure these important food programs can continue to operate during this time of great need in communities across Seattle.

A member of the Washington Air National Guard opens a crate of canned food at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
(U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)

In recent weeks, the City has been working with the National Guard—which can deploy hundreds of servicemembers to help work at food banks and deliver supplies—and service providers to meet this growing need in Seattle and surrounding communities. These servicemembers are often deployed to natural disasters to offer a helping hand. The National Guard is doing just that in Seattle by stepping up to fill in the gaps in our food network. (The City is not directly managing the deployment of the National Guard servicepeople and the support they are providing to food banks was upon request of the service providers).

Food Lifeline, who partners with both Northwest Harvest and Second Harvest organizations, has received the assistance of 252 National Guard members in the past week in its 160,000 square foot distribution center, located in SODO. And starting the week of April 27, the National Guard have been present at 10 food banks, including Solid Ground, a key anti-hunger partner that supports the Seattle Food Bank Network. The National Guard has also assisted in serving meals at Edible Hope at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church near Ballard Commons since April 29. Here is a list of the additional food banks assisted by the National Guard:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Placements will continue through May 29, 2020. For more information on food bank locations and operating hours, please visit our Food Resource Interactive Map.

Need more information? 

A member of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)

La ciudad se asocia con la National Guard (Guardia Nacional) para satisfacer las crecientes necesidades alimentarias durante la pandemia del COVID-19

Si vio a personas con uniformes militares alrededor de Seattle la semana pasada, podrían ser miembros de la U.S. National Guard (Guardia Nacional de EE. UU.), que están aquí para ayudar a nuestros bancos de alimentos.

En las últimas semanas, 252 miembros de la U.S. National Guard han estado trabajando en centros de distribución de alimentos, sirviendo comida y ayudando a los bancos de alimentos de toda la ciudad. Debido al impacto del COVID-19, varios bancos de alimentos experimentaron escasez de suministros, redujeron el horario de atención o se enfrentaron a la falta de voluntarios debido al distanciamiento social. Esta situación ha sido difícil para los miembros de la comunidad que dependen de los servicios de esos bancos.

Para ayudar a abordar estos desafíos, la ciudad conectó a la U.S. National Guard con los proveedores de servicios para ayudar con la dotación de personal y la entrega de suministros. Los militares en servicio de la U.S. National Guard (Guardia Nacional de EE. UU.) están ayudando a Food Lifeline, que trabaja en conjunto con Northwest Harvest y Second Harvest a fin de operar su centro de distribución de 160 000 pies cuadrados (14 700 metros cuadrados); atendiendo 10 bancos de alimentos, incluyendo Solid Ground y sirviendo comidas en Edible Hope at St. Lukes en Ballard Commons. Esta es una lista de los bancos de alimentos adicionales a los cuales la National Guard proporcionó asistencia esta semana:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Los militares en servicio de la U.S. National Guard estarán aquí hasta el viernes, 29 de mayo. Si los ve, agradézcales por su servicio de ayudar a nuestros vecinos que se enfrentan a una inseguridad alimentaria.

Para obtener más información sobre las ubicaciones de los bancos de alimentos y los horarios de atención, visite el mapa interactivo de recursos alimentarios.

¿Necesita más información?

Thành phố hợp tác với U.S. National Guard để hỗ trợ các ngân hàng thực phẩm (food banks) trong đại dịch COVID-19

Nếu quý vị nhìn thấy những người mặc quân phục quanh Seattle trong tuần qua, họ có thể là U.S. National Guard (Vệ Binh Quốc Gia Hoa Kỳ). Và họ có mặt ở đây để giúp các ngân hàng thực phẩm (food banks) của chúng ta!

Trong các tuần gần đây, 252 thành viên của U.S. National Guard đã làm việc ở các trung tâm phân phát thực phẩm, phục vụ đồ ăn và hỗ trợ các ngân hàng thực phẩm tại nhiều địa điểm trên toàn thành phố. Do tác động của COVID-19, một số ngân hàng thực phẩm đã phải đối mặt với sự thiếu hụt thực phẩm, giảm giờ phục vụ hay thiếu sự hỗ trợ của tình nguyện viên do giãn cách xã hội. Tình hình này gây nhiều khó khăn cho các thành viên cộng đồng phụ thuộc vào dịch vụ của họ.

Để giúp giải quyết những khó khăn đó, thành phố Seattle đã kết nối U.S. National Guard với các nhà cung cấp dịch vụ để giúp bố trí nhân lực và giao đồ tiếp liệu. Các thành viên của U.S. National Guard đang giúp Food Lifeline, là đối tác của cả Northwest Harvest và Second Harvest, vận hành trung tâm phân phát rộng 160,000 foot vuông của họ, bố trí nhân lực ở 10 ngân hàng thực phẩm (xem danh sách dưới đây) và phục vụ các bữa ăn tại Edible Hope at St. Lukes ở Ballard Commons. Sau đây là danh sách các ngân hàng thực phẩm bổ sung được National Guard hỗ trợ trong tuần này:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Các thành viên của U.S. National Guard sẽ có mặt tại đây cho đến hết Thứ Sáu, ngày 29 tháng 5. Nếu quý vị thấy họ, hãy cảm ơn họ vì đã giúp đỡ những người hàng xóm đang phải đối mặt với tình trạng mất an ninh lương thực của chúng ta.

Để biết thêm thông tin về các địa điểm ngân hàng thực phẩm và giờ hoạt động, hãy truy cập Bản Đồ Tương Tác Nguồn Thực Phẩm.

Quý vị cần thêm thông tin?

西雅圖市政府在 COVID-19 全球大流行期間與 National Guard（國民警衛隊）合作為食物銀行提供援助

如果您在過去一週曾在西雅圖各地見過穿軍裝的軍人，這些人可能隸屬是 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）的人員。他們出現在這裡是為我們的食物銀行提供幫助！

最近幾週，有 252 名 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）成員一直在食物配送中心工作，提供食物，並為西雅圖全市各地點的食物銀行提供支援。由於受到 COVID-19 的影響，有幾家食物銀行面臨過食物短缺，工作時間縮短，或者因保持社交距離而缺乏志願者支援。這種情況對於依賴食物銀行服務的社區成員來說十分困難。

為了幫助應對這些挑戰，市政府連結了 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）與服務提供者，為人員配備和供應品配送方面提供幫助。U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）服役人員正在幫助 Food Lifeline，此機構與 Northwest Harvest 和 Second Harvest 均有合作，它有佔地 160,000 平方英尺的配送中心，為 10 個食物銀行, 包括Solid Ground, 配備工作人員（參閱下方列表），並在 Ballard Commons 內的 Edible Hope at St. Lukes 提供餐食。以下為本週 National Guard（國民警衛隊）提供援助的其他食物銀行清單：

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）服役人員于 5 月 29 日週五之前都會留在這裏爲社區服務。如果您見到他們，請感謝他們為社區食物供应保障所提供的服務。

如需食物銀行地點和營業時間方面的更多資訊，請造訪 Food Resource Interactive Map （食物資源互動式地圖）。

需要更多資訊？

西雅图市政府在 COVID-19 全球大流行期间与 National Guard（国民警卫队）合作为食物银行提供援助

如果您在过去一周曾在西雅图各地见过穿军装的军人，这些人可能隶属是 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）的人员。他们出现在这里是为我们的食物银行提供帮助！

最近几周，有 252 名 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）成员一直在食物配送中心工作，提供食物，并为西雅图全市各地点的食物银行提供支援。由于受到 COVID-19 的影响，有几家食物银行面临过食物短缺，工作时间缩短，或者因保持社交距离而缺乏志愿者支援。这种情况对于依赖食物银行服务的社区成员来说十分困难。

为了帮助应对这些挑战，市政府连结了 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）与服务提供者，为人员配备和供应品配送方面提供帮助。 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）服役人员正在帮助Food Lifeline，此机构与Northwest Harvest 和Second Harvest 均有合作，它有占地 160,000 平方英尺的配送中心，为 10 个食物银行, 包括Solid Ground, 配备工作人员（参阅下方列表），并在 Ballard Commons 内的 Edible Hope at St. Lukes 提供餐食。以下为本周 National Guard（国民警卫队）提供援助的其他食物银行清单：

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）服役人员于 5 月 29 日周五之前都会留在这里为社区服务。如果您见到他们，请感谢他们为社区食物供应保障所提供的服务。

如需食物银行地点和营业时间方面的更多资讯，请造访 Food Resource Interactive Map （食物资源互动式地图）。

需要更多资讯？

시애틀시,  COVID-19 팬데믹기간동안푸드뱅크지원위해미국주방위군과제휴

지난주 시애틀 곳곳에서 군복을 착용한 군요원을 본 적이 있다면 미국 주 방위군일 수 있습니다. 이분들은 시애틀의 푸드 뱅크에 도움의 손길을 주고자 이곳에 모였습니다!

최근 몇 주 동안 252명의 미국 주 방위군은 식품 유통 센터에서 일하고, 식료품을 제공하며, 시애틀 시 전역에서 푸드 뱅크를 지원하고 있습니다. COVID-19의 여파로 인해 여러 푸드 뱅크가 식료품 부족 사태에 직면하거나, 운영 시간을 축소하거나, 사회적 거리두기로 인해 자원 봉사자의 손길이 역부족인 상태를 겪어 왔습니다. 이러한 상황은 푸드 뱅크 서비스에 의존하는 지역사회 구성원들에게 힘든 시간이었습니다.

시애틀 시는 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 미국 주 방위군과 서비스 제공업체를 연결해 인력 배치 및 공급품 전달을 지원했습니다.  미국 주 방위군 요원들은 Northwest Harvest(노스웨스트 하비스트) 및 Second Harvest(세컨드 하비스트) 양측과 제휴한 Food Lifeline(푸드 라이프라인)이 16만 스퀘어피트(약 15000제곱미터)의 유통 센터를 운영하도록 지원하며, Solid Ground를 포함한 푸드 뱅크 10곳(아래 목록 참조)에 인력을 배치하고, Ballard Commons(발라드 커먼스) 내 Edible Hope at St. Lukes에서 식사를 대접하고 있습니다. 이번 주 주 방위군에서 지원한 추가 푸드 뱅크 목록은 다음과 같습니다.

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

미국 주 방위군 요원은 5월 29일 금요일까지 시애틀에 상주할 예정입니다. 군요원을 보시면 식량 부족을 겪고 있는 우리 이웃에게 도움의 손길을 제공하는 이 분들의 노고에 감사의 인사를 전해 주십시오.

푸드 뱅크 위치 및 운영 시간에 대한 자세한 사항은 Food Resource Interactive Map(식료품 지원처 대화형 지도)을 참조해 주시기 바랍니다.

추가 정보가 필요하신가요?

Magaaladu waxay iskaashi la samaynaysaa National Guard (Illaalada Qaranka) si aan u buuxino baahida gaajada sii kordhaysa inta lagu jiro aafada COVID-19

Haddii aad aragtay dad qaba direeska ciidamada oo jooga aagaga Seattle asbuucaan lasoo dhaafay, waxay noqon karaan U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka). Waxayna halkaan u joogaan inay caawiyaan kaydadkeena cuntada!

Asbuucyadii lasoo dhaafay, 252 xubnood oo kamid ah U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa ka shaqaynaayay xarumaha cuntada qaybiya, ayagoo bixinaayay cuntada, taageero siinayana bakhaarada cuntada ee ku yaalo daafaha Magaalada. Sabab la xariirta saamaynta cudurka COVID-19, tiro badan oo kaydadka cuntada ah waxaa ku yaraatay cuntada, waxay yareeyeen saacadahooda shaqada, ama waxay waayeen taageerada dadka iska wax u qabso kushaqeeya sabab la xariirta amarka kala fogaanshaha dadka. Xaalada ayaa ahayd mid ku adag xubnaha bulshada ee ku tiirsanaa adeegyadooda.

Si wax looga qabto xaaladahaan, magaalada ayaa la xariirtay U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) si ay ugu caawiyaan adeeg bixiyaal gacan ka gaysta shaqaalaha iyo bixinta cuntada. Xubnaha ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa gacan siinaaya Food Lifeline, oo iskaashi la leh labadaba Northwest Harvest iyo Second Harvest, si ay u maamulaan xarunteeda cunto qaybinta ee 160,000 ee iskuweer ah, ayagoo shaqaale u noqonaaya 10 xarumood oo cuntooyin qaybinaaya (liiska hoose arag), cuntooyina ka qaybinaaya aagaga Edible Hope at St. Lukes oo ka shaqaysa Ballard Commons. Halkaan waxaad ka helaysaa liiska kaydadka cuntada ee dheeraadka ah ee ay gurmadka siinayaan ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) asbuucaan:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Xubnaha ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa shaqadaan sii wadi doona illaa Jimcada, Maayo 29. Haddii aad aragto, uga mahad celi adeegooda ay ku caawinayaan dariskeena wajahaaya cunto yarida.

Wixii xog dheeraad ah oo ku saabsan goobaha cuntooyinka lagu qaybinaayo iyo saacadaha ay shaqaynayaan, fadlan booqo Food Resource Interactive Map (Qariirada Baraha Cuntada Laga bixinaayo).

Ma u baahan tahay Macluumaad dheeri ah?

ከተማዉበCOVID-19 ወቅት የምግብ ባንኮችን ለመደገፍ ከዩኤስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ  ጋር አብሯል

ባለፈው ሳምንት በSeattle አካባቢ ሰዎች የወታደራዊ ደንብ ልብስ ለብሰው ካዩ፣ የU.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ)ሊሆን ይችላል። እነሱ የምግብ ባንኮቻችንን ለመርዳት በዚህ አሉ!

በቅርብ ሳምንታት፣ 252 የ U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) አባላት ምግብ በሚያከፋፍሉ ማዕከላት፣ ምግብ የማቅረብ፣ እና የምግብ ባንኮችን የመደገፍ ስራ በከተማው ሁሉ እየሰሩ ነበር። በ COVID-19 ተጽዕኖ የተነሳ በርካታ የምግብ ባንኮች የምግብ እጥረት፣ የስራ ሰዓታቸው መቀነስ፣ ወይም በማህበራዊ ርቀት ምክንያት የበጎ ፈቃደኞች የድጋፍ እጥረት አጋጥሟቸዋል። ይህ ሁኔታ በእነዚህ አገልግሎቶች ላይ ለሚደገፉ የማህበረሰቡ አባላት አስቸጋሪ ሆኗል።

እነዚህን ተግዳሮቶች ለመቀልበስ እንዲረዳ፣ ከተማው U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) በሰራተኛ እና አቅራቦት በማድረስ ለመርዳት ከአገልግሎት አቅራቢዎች ጋር አገናኝቷል። U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) የአገልግሎት አባላት Food Lifeline  ከሁለቱም Northwest Harvest እና Second Harvest ጋር በጥምረት እየረዱ ነው ፣  , የ160,000 ስኩዌር ጫማ ማዕከሉን ለማንቀሳቀስ፣ 10 የምግብ ባንኮችን ሰራተኛ ማቅረብ ፣ Solid Ground ጭምር፣ እና በ Ballard Commons Edible Hope at St. Lukes ውስጥ  ምግቦችን ማቅረብ። በዚህ ሳምንት በብሔራዊ ጥበቃ የሚታገዙ ተጨማሪ የምግብ ባንኮች ዝርዝር ይኸው፦

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

የ U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) አገልግሎት አባላት እስከ አርብ ሜይ 29 ድረስ እዚህ ይኖራሉ። ካያችኋቸው ጎረቤቶቻችን ለሚጋፈጡት የ ምግብ ደህንነት አለመጽናት የሚሰጡት ድጋፍ ያመስግኗቸው።

ስለምግብ ባንክ ቦታዎች እና ስራ ሰዓቶች የበለጠ መረጃ, እባክዎን ይህንን ይጎብኙ Food Resource Interactive Map (የምግብ ሃብት ግንኙነት ካርታ)።

የበለጠ መረጃ ይፈልጋሉ?

Update: Continuing to Expand Access to Hygiene Resources and Deploying Rapid Response Teams

by

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Last week, the City of Seattle and The Seattle Public Library (SPL) announced the re-opening of restrooms at five library locations, providing additional vital hygiene resources to people living unsheltered. To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the City continues to increase access to hygiene facilities and work in partnership with Public Health  –  Seattle & King County to interrupt COVID-19 transmission among those experiencing homelessness.  

More Re-Opened Restroom Facilities

The restrooms at the following Library locations will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday:  

  • Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. 
  • Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.  
  • University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E. 
  • Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E. 
  • Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. 

No other services will be offered in those buildings when the restrooms are open. Locations will be staffed with security personnel, custodial workers, and libraries staff. To help prevent further spread of COVID-19, Library branches will employ social distancing protocols, ask patrons to complete a brief COVID-19 health screener prior to entering the building, and will limit the number of individuals permitted in the building for restroom use at a time. The restrooms will be regularly cleaned in accordance with guidance from Public Health – Seattle & King County.  

We are living through an unprecedented time and over the past weeks we have worked to aggressively stand up resources to support our unsheltered neighbors. Our city employees are supportive, taking on positions in new shelter spaces, childcare facilities, food delivery and more. I am grateful to lead this generous City with the best employees, who continue to giveback to our residents most in need during times of crisis. We will continue to build on these resources to keep all of Seattle’s communities safe.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Rapid Response in Homeless Shelters Can Help Limit Spread of COVID-19

People who cannot safely self-isolate at home usually have less access to the resources needed to stay healthy, a challenge exacerbated by the current pandemic. For this reason, preventing and slowing the spread of COVID-19 within people living homeless continues to be a high priority in our pandemic response.

The COVID-19 homelessness response is a collaboration between Public Health, King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) working closely with homeless service providers. This includes shelters, day centers, permanent supportive housing sites, health care providers, jail release coordination, outreach workers, nurses in shelters and permanent supportive housing. We’re grateful to the many homeless services and behavioral health staff and providers who are essential workers at this time.

Starting early in the outbreak in King County, Public Health worked with homeless services providers to give guidance to prevent outbreaks before there were cases. Since that time, we have continued to provide information on infection control and prevention in briefings to 200+ providers each week.

We’ve also deployed clinical support teams to homeless services sites to provide guidance on sanitation and hygiene as well as recommended spacing in facilities. These teams also help to coordinate needed disinfection and hygiene supplies through a centralized order and distribution process.

Establishing a National Model for Containing the Spread of COVID-19

Two research articles published on April 22 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe how multi-disciplinary teams deployed by Public Health are helping homeless shelters to protect their residents and staff.

Public Health deploys rapid response teams to homeless service sites where there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 or a suspected cluster based on people with symptoms of COVID-19. These multi-disciplinary teams assess the level of current illness, assess the risk of further contagion, and connect service providers and residents with resources to identify illness and prevent further spread.

Each of these teams has an environmental health staff person who assesses the facility and provides recommendations to reduce risk, such as procedures to support adequate social distancing and infection control measures. In addition, clinical team members provide education on COVID-19, screen residents and staff for symptoms, facilitate testing of exposed residents and staff, provide access to resources such as thermometers and surgical masks, and make referrals to the county’s Isolation and Quarantine facilities and Assessment and Recovery Centers.

For additional testing, a separate Mobile Assessment Team or testing team from a partner organization is available to deploy to sites, based on the specific needs at each location. In the past month, approximately 1,500 residents and staff have been tested at facilities that have had at least one positive case of COVID-19.

Since February, Public Health has been proactively reaching out to sites without any confirmed or suspected illnesses, providing technical advice on infection control and social distancing. These assessments support facilities in accessing hygiene supplies such as wipes, masks and cleaning products through a shared warehouse ordering process.

For details on King County’s coordinated response to limit the harm of COVID-19 among people living homeless, see “Action Steps: Supporting King County residents experiencing homelessness.”

Video Update: Seattle’s Shelter Response During COVID-19

by

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

COVID-19 has forced us to take unprecedented measures to help stop the spread of the deadly disease. One group especially vulnerable is the homeless population. The City of Seattle, under Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, has taken unprecedented measures to open up as many shelter spaces as possible during this COVID-19 outbreak.

The city has opened up 95 units of new shelter capacity to help people who are currently living unsheltered:

  • 25 units at Cherry Hill – Spirit Village in the Central District;
  • 20 additional units at Lake Union Village; and
  • Up to 50 units announced today at Lakefront Community House in Bitter Lake.

We also opened additional spaces inside of community centers and at Seattle Center so that we can de-intensify the number of people who are living in existing congregate shelter spaces. In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, we wanted to make more spaces available so that we could re-distribute those large populations to more spaces so that people weren’t sleeping so close to one another.

For example, we’re working with The Salvation Army, who manages our City Hall shelter which serves 180 people every night. We took half of that population and made use of Fisher Pavilion, at Seattle Center, so that shelter stayers had more space. It now provides 24/7 care and we’re able to provide meals there too, so we make sure that the individuals staying here have two solid meals per day and can “Stay Home, Stay Safe” just as we are all being asked to do.

THANK YOU to Seattle Channel and the City staff and community providers who have been going the extra mile during this crisis:

  • Seattle Mayor’s Office
  • Public Health — Seattle & King County
  • Seattle Parks & Recreation
  • Seattle Department of Neighborhoods 
  • Seattle Center
  • Seattle Finance and Administrative Services 
  • Seattle Office of Emergency Management
  • Seattle Information Technology
  • King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)
  • Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI)
  • The Salvation Army
  • Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC)
  • Compass Housing
  • Catholic Community Services/WHEEL
  • YWCA

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.   

City Continues to Expand Enhanced 24/7 Shelter with Opening of Lakefront Community House

by

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 Bitter Lake neighborhood. The shelter has been named the Lakefront Community House. This new shelter was announced in March by Mayor Jenny A. 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 at high-risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

This announcement builds on a number of steps announced last week to further expand hygiene services, add new shelter spaces, and continue outreach to people experiencing homelessness — including the opening of Cherry Hill – Spirit Village in the Central District and the expansion of Lake Union Village. To learn more about the City’s efforts to shelter Seattle’s most vulnerable communities, watch this video.  

Photo of Lakefront Community House entrance

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 N 130th 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) has and will continue to outreach to neighborhood stakeholders, including the nearby Seattle Housing Authority program, to ensure community has the opportunity to partner with LIHI and the City to ensure the long-term support and success of the Lakefront Community House. 

City Auditor Releases Report on Homeless Strategy and Investment Division

by

The Seattle Office of the City Auditor (OCA) published a report today that found the Human Services Department (HSD) —which develops, executes, and oversees over 200 contracted services that make up the City’s social safety net—”is sufficiently managing the homeless services programs, contracts, and the City’s investments in homeless services,” and “service providers are generally meeting their contract terms.” OCA reviewed the portfolio of critical contracts that focuses on HSD’s homelessness response, such as outreach, case management, emergency services (such as tiny house villages and shelters), housing support, and prevention programs. 

OCA conducted this audit in response to Seattle City Council President Lorena González’s request to review HSD’s management of the City’s homeless services contracts. The report examined: 1) HSD’s contract procurement, award and approval processes, 2) HSD’s contract administration and monitoring processes, 3) policies and program design for each type of homeless service, and 4) service provider compliance with contract terms and program requirements. The report includes eighteen recommendations for improving HSD’s management of homeless services contracts, homeless policy and program design, and service provider performance and contract compliance.

“We deeply appreciate the time, expertise, and partnership the City Auditor brought to this important review,” said Jason Johnson, HSD director. “I also want to thank HSD staff and service providers who helped complete this audit. We are pleased that OCA found HSD’s planning, contract management, program design, and service provider performance are being managed appropriately and that the department is a good steward of public dollars. HSD is committed to continuous improvement and has begun instituting OCA’s feedback in the department’s operations, in addition to initiatives already underway.”  

It is important to note that HSD’s portfolio has expanded by 50% in recent years to meet the growing need in the community, but the operational resources necessary to manage this portfolio have not kept pace, leaving the department charged with managing investments that have grown in size and complexity, including additional performance measures which are a key part of the development and execution of these contracts. The OCA report found that despite this rapid growth in scale and detail, HSD continues to effectively manage these investments.  

Further, once Council amends and adopts the Mayor’s budget, HSD staff have a short timeframe—approximately 23 business days—to incorporate Council’s changes and to return the contracts to service providers by the end of the fiscal year, which is a challenging and intensive task as recognized by the OCA.  

Given the volume, time, and critical needs of managing, executing, and delivering contracts back to community, HSD has already adopted measures to increase efficiency. HSD has improved its process and oversight by updating software and procedural manuals to detail the contracting process for staff, implementing visual management tools and daily team huddles to produce real-time fiscal monitoring. Additionally, HSD has hired temporary staff to help manage contracts and has realigned compliance review to remove barriers and expedite timelines. The department has also formed a Continuous Quality Improvement Team to further evaluate and improve processes to effectively serve all residents of Seattle.  

Understanding limited budget resources that are added to HSD’s portfolio must be first prioritized to supporting Seattle’s most vulnerable communities, an effective remedy for some these capacity challenges and timelines would be to further support HSD’s operational budget to better support staff and ensure even more effective contract delivery.  

One significant update this year will be the transition and consolidation of contracts for homelessness services into the newly formed King County Regional Homelessness Authority. The feedback provided by OCA will help illuminate the development of the contract management process as this new authority is stood up.  

HSD thanks the City Auditor, the service providers, and staff that worked to complete this important review. The department looks forward to working with the City Auditor in the future to further improve its service delivery. 

ICYMI: Continuing to Expand Hygiene Services, Shelter and Outreach to People Experiencing Homelessness

by

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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.

We have been working around the clock to open shelters across the city. Since March 5, the City has opened shelters at Exhibition Hall, Garfield Community Center, Miller Community Center, Fisher Pavilion, and now T.C. Village—with more shelter opening at Bitter Lake and Lake Union Village. HSD has also planned for two other community centers to be made available for shelter. The department has also worked with King County to add isolation and quarantine capacity. City staff that help design these programs have also been deployed to operate these shelters 24/7 because service providers are stretched thin to operate and launch programs. All of these resources have been stood up in less than 50 days—in the midst of a public health crisis impacting every aspect of society.

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. 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.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

More 24/7 Hygiene Stations and Re-Opened Restroom Facilities

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced the deployment of six more hygiene stations. The new facilities are located at Victor Steinbrueck Park, Waterfront Park, 45th Avenue and I-5, St Vincent DePaul Food Bank, University Heights Center, and Bell Street Park. With the closures of community centers and libraries, these six facilities result in a total of 26 new portable toilets and 12 handwashing resources added in the past two weeks, addressing the urgent hygiene needs of the City’s most vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City worked in partnership with REACH and Public Health – Seattle & King County to determine station placement in high-need locations where they would have the most impact. Hygiene stations will be accessible 24/7 and serviced daily, with waste removal, needle disposal, and supplemental cleaning.  

In addition to the hygiene stations, Seattle Parks and Recreation has opened more than 50 facilities that were closed for annual winterization in recent weeks. Understanding the urgent need to provide increased access to hygiene services, City staff across departments have worked to account for all resources available and accessible to our residents. 

Providing public restroom facilities has always been a critical function of Seattle Parks and Recreation. Additionally, we have provided shower facilities to those in need for many years. These are essential services that our City must provide, and are now more important than ever as we work to slow the spread of COVID-19.  

Jesús Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent

While subject to change daily based on construction, maintenance, vandalism or cleaning, a comprehensive list of current resources with hours is available here. 

The City is also currently working with service providers to deploy two additional hygiene stations and two hygiene trailers with showers, toilets and sinks. 

Cherry Hill – Spirit Village

The Seattle 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. This brand new tiny house village is the eighth location of its kind. The program is sponsored and named after the Christ Spirit Church and located on the church’s property.  

The Cherry Hill – 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 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. 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.   

Lake Union Village

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.  

Update on Navigation Team Efforts

To limit the spread of COVID-19 among unsheltered individuals, the Navigation Team has continued its growing focus on sharing essential public health information through one-on-one interactions, distributing more than COVID-19 and Hepatitis A hygiene flyers, and providing 1,663 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 made contact with 2,768 persons, helping connect them to medical care and shelter, as needed:  

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.   

HSD Updates 2020 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

by

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.  Please note the following:

  1. Older Adult Health Promotion via King County has been extended to reflect an April 30, 2020 deadline.
  2. Re-entry/Re-rooting Indigenous Community Healing has been extended to reflect an April 14, 2020 deadline.
  3. Food Bank Services: Georgetown, South Park, Delridge Neighborhoods has been postponed and slated for Q1 2021 release.
  4. Supporting Youth and Young Adults for success has been postponed.
  5. Homeless Investments to Serve American Indians/Alaska Natives proceeded as planned and still intends to award and then begin contracts April 15, 2020.

The updated NOFA is available for download now in the Funding Opportunities section of our website at www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding-and-reports/funding-opportunities or by clicking here: Notice of Funding Availability (PDF)

COVID-19 Update: Continuing Expansion of Hygiene Services for People Experiencing Homelessness

by

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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.  

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities have done a comprehensive inventory of available facilities currently open. At this time, no restroom facilities will be closed during this weekend’s large park closures. In recent weeks, the City has taken several steps to increase access to hygiene facilities to reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially with the closure of additional businesses. Seattle Public Utilities will provide 16 new portable toilets and 8 new hand washing stations.  

The new resources will supplement previously announced resources: 

  • There are open hygiene locations in parks. As of April 8, there are 138 locations with a total of 199 hygiene facilities (comfort stations and sanicans) located in 114 parks and recreation locations across the city. There are 78 facilities open 24/7, including 75 sanicans and portable restrooms. At any given time, Parks hygiene facilities may be temporarily closed for construction, maintenance, vandalism, or cleaning). Four community centers are open for showers;  
  • Seattle Public Utilities is operating six Hygiene stations, with 14 sanicans and six handwashing sinks that also operate 24/7;  
  • Twelve day centers; and 
  • Bathrooms at facilities at City Hall and Seattle Center. 

From the beginning of this unprecedented crisis, we have been focused on providing the resources necessary to keep our most vulnerable neighbors safe. Over the past month, the City and County have committed unprecedented new investments for individuals experiencing homelessness including new resources for hygiene, shelter and places for individuals to isolate, quarantine, or recover from COVID-19. I am grateful for the frontline service providers and City workers who are tirelessly working to procure new facilities, staff our shelters, conduct outreach to the most vulnerable, and clean these facilities. We will continue to build on our current resources to help our most vulnerable but need the support of our state and federal governments to provide the funding, staffing and resources necessary to support individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly a month, I have been asking for more personnel and support – our City workers alone can’t staff and support the new facilities that we need to address the crisis.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will work with Public Health – Seattle & King County and other City departments to determine locations for the new facilities. Similar to those recently deployed, the new stations will be open 24/7 and serviced daily, with waste removal, needle disposal, and supplemental cleaning.  

  • Portable toilets and hand-washing station

Two hygiene trailers will be located near Chief Seattle Club in Pioneer Square and Seattle Center to complement the expansion. The Seattle Center location will support the shelters at the Fisher Pavilion and Exhibition Hall. Trailers contain showers, toilets and hand washing stations. The facilities will be staffed by a City-contracted service provider and daily maintenance provided per guidance of public health officials. Shower programs at Delridge, Green Lake, Meadowbrook, and Rainier community centers also remain open to the public. 

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.