Seattle adding new tiny home village, 75 shelter beds this month
Oct 2, 2018, 2:11 PM | Updated: 2:38 pm
A tiny house installed at a homeless encampment in Seattle's South Lake Union. (Ron Upshaw, KIRO Radio)
(Ron Upshaw, KIRO Radio)
Seattle is increasing its homeless shelter capacity this month, with 97 new places for people to stay.
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KIRO 7 reports that volunteers have already been constructing a tiny home village in South Lake Union. The sanctioned camp is expected to open later this month. The site will be located in a parking lot at Eighth Avenue North and Aloha Street. Furniture and smoke detectors were brought in Tuesday. Volunteers are also painting the tiny homes as a final touch.
A total of 22 tiny homes will be available at Lake Union Village — open to men, women, couples and pets.
A lawsuit was filed arguing that the city did not adequately consult the surrounding South Lake Union community about the tiny home village. Neighbors are concerned about the village being “low barrier,” meaning residents will be allowed to use drugs and alcohol at the site. The city says the village will have 24-hour monitoring and security.
Mayor Jenny Durkan also announced in June that the city aimed to open 75 shelter beds at Haddon Hall, a previously vacant building near Westlake Center. That site will come online this month.
This Haddon Hall shelter is “enhanced,” meaning it will operate 24/7. The city’s Navigation Team will primarily send people to the shelter. It will be operated in partnership with Catholic Community Services and Plymouth Housing.
TIMELINE: Understanding Seattle’s homeless issues
The city’s Human Services Department is expected to have added 516 new shelter beds by the end of 2018. The city has also partnered with the Bailey-Boushay House and Virginia Mason to open 50 shelter beds for people who are HIV positive. A total of 100 other new beds will be created at Harborview Medical Center in partnership with King County.
