ICYMI: Data shows Navigation Team successful in connecting more people to shelter, services while increasing clean-up capacity
The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) released Quarter 2 (Q2) performance metrics for the City of Seattle’s Navigation Team, which is comprised outreach workers, field coordinators, and police officers that work to connect people living unsheltered to shelter and support services. The Q2 data shows the team working at a higher capacity, connecting more people to shelter when compared to the first quarter of 2019, and increasing operational capacity to better address unmanaged encampments posing public access, health, and safety concerns. When compared to Quarter 1 (Q1), the Navigation Team saw the following increases in Q2: • 16 percent increase in unique individuals engaged by the Navigation Team; • 10 percent increase in unique individuals referred to shelters; • 47 Navigation Team reserved beds available daily, rising from 17 beds available in Q1 o More beds available in basic shelters, tiny house villages, and enhanced shelters; and • 79 more referrals to enhanced shelter and tiny house villages than in Q1.