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Seattle Human Services news and events

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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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.   

COVID-19 Update: Continuing to expand shelter and outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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 announced the opening of a temporary expanded capacity 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. 

Under normal circumstances Fisher Pavilion could provide 146 spaces, but given the need to increase space between individuals, it will provide 79 spaces. By reducing the overnight capacity at City Hall shelters by 79 people, clients and staff at both the City Hall and Fisher Pavilion shelters will be able to better practice social distancing. The City Hall shelters will cap the number of overnight clients in order to better adhere to social distancing guidelines. The Fisher Pavilion shelter may only be utilized for a limited period of time during the COVID-19 response as the City identifies more sheltering options to meet the need during this public health crisis.  

In an expansion of services, clients staying at Fisher Pavilion will have 24/7 access to the building. Meals and cleaning services will also be provided. Fisher Pavilion will not be open to walk-ins.  

Kudos to the HSD and other City staff who came out to Fisher Pavilion last Friday to move and open boxes, take cots out of bags, unfold them, and add two support beams at each end to set up beds for opening this week!

For weeks, the City and County have deployed unprecedented resources and measures to help those experiencing homelessness during this public health emergency. The City’s Navigation Team is a part of that effort and continues to conduct critical outreach to vulnerable people living unsheltered during the COVID-19 response.

Since the first case of COVID was confirmed in King County, the team has focused on getting important public health information out to people living unsheltered and distributing hygiene kits. The team has also continued making referrals to shelter during the public health crisis, and remains one of the few groups continuing to provide critical outreach in the field during the pandemic.

Since this crisis began the team has spoken to over 2,369 people regarding #COVID19, providing 1,382 hygiene kits and distributing 1,306 Public Health flyers. Team members have also made 28 referrals to shelters, encountered 22 persons with COVID-19 symptoms, and referred 12 persons for medical care.

Outreach will continue to unmanaged encampments and to RV encampment sites during the COVID-19 response. The team remains one of the City’s front-line responses and its continued work supports the Human Services Department Continuity of Operations Plan, which requires continued efforts to support people living unsheltered during a crisis. Additionally, the team will connect people to the recently announced expanded hygiene services.  

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.   

Update on Hygiene Services

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**UPDATED April 3, 2020

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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. 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. The new facilities will be open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Daily maintenance will be provided including sharps disposal, waste removal and supplemental cleaning. 

In addition to the portable toilets, the City expects to soon deploy at least four hygiene trailers with showers, toilets, and hand-washing stations. Currently under procurement, the trailer locations and staffing will be determined by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) in partnership with outreach teams and other departments and Public Health – Seattle & King County. 

“I am deeply appreciative to the Navigation Team, our contracted outreach providers, and our partner departments for helping to inform where these important hygiene services will be located,” said Jason Johnson, HSD Director. “Ensuring that people have easy and immediate access to the services they need is HSD’s top priority during these unprecedented times.”

Map showing locations of six hygiene statrions around the city that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit seattle.gov/covid19
Click on image above to download an 11×17 PDF

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.   

COVID-19: Seattle Area Food Resources Map

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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.

Information will be updated as soon as available, and we are continuing to improve the map and make it more accessible. To view this interactive resource now, please click here: Food Resource Interactive Map

By hovering over or clicking a specific location, the following information is available:

  • Resource Type
  • Resource Location
  • Operating Agency
  • Hours of Operation
  • Eligibility Details
  • Phone Contact Details
  • Website Links
  • Date of Last Update

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.   

Seattle and King County expand COVID-19 emergency shelter and housing response

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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 do not have a home. These actions will help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the region and preserve critical hospital beds for the most acutely ill.

There has been a total of 1,893 spaces created by:

  • Creating more emergency shelter (95 new beds)
  • Creating more social distancing in existing shelters (709 expansion spaces)
  • Creating isolation [for confirmed cases] or quarantine spaces [for possible/suspected cases] (432 beds)
  • Creating space for recovery for people who do not require emergent care (up to 612 beds)

“In the last three weeks, the City of Seattle and King County have worked quickly to rapidly create almost 1,900 spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness, so we can slow the spread of COVID-19. This unprecedented deployment of resources at a local level will need the continued support of our state and federal government to create additional facilities with personnel and resources. We know that individuals experiencing homelessness are some of the most at risk for exposure. Our partnership to create new shelter, de-intensify our current high capacity shelters, and create new spaces will go a long way in ensuring more people have the tools they need to stay healthy, the support they need if they are ill, and will help alleviate the growing pressures on our regional health care system,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan.

De-Intensifying Shelters for Individuals Currently in Shelter

In this blog post we want to focus on how we are working closely with higher capacity shelter providers to create more social distancing between individuals, which can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A total of 709 expansion spaces are being created, including several opening this week in the City of Seattle.

  • New: Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center (146 spaces) operated by Salvation Army and opening this week
  • New: Garfield Community Center (50 spaces) operated by Catholic Community Services, YWCA, and WHEEL and opening this week
  • New: Miller Community Center (50 spaces) operated by Compass and opening this week
  • New: SW Teen Life Community Center (50 spaces) opening early April
  • New: Loyal Heights Community Center (50 spaces) opening early April
  • Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center (179 spaces), open and operated by DESC.
  • King County Airport (80 spaces), open and operated by Catholic Community Services and St. Martin de Porres
  • Harbor Island (24 spaces) open April
  • Congregation for the Homeless in Bellevue (80 spaces), open and operated by CFH.

Staff with the Seattle Human Services Department and King County’s Department of Community and Human Services are working closely with all shelter and day service providers to ensure their ability to follow social distancing guidelines and assist with access to hygiene and sanitation supplies. They are also cross-training other City staff to help support operations in the shelters — and they are even pitching in to help set some of these spaces up!

Here are some photos of preparations underway for the Miller Community Center shelter space, operated by Compass Housing Alliance, which opens tonight. Staff moved quickly to unpack, arrange, and carefully space sleeping cots in the community center gym.

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.