City of Kirkland: 8 facts everyone needs to know about our permanent supportive housing project

In a recent op-ed, INRIX CEO Bryan Mistele announced they were leaving Kirkland due to concerns about King County’s conversion of a nearby hotel into permanent supportive housing. INRIX has been a respected member of our business community, and we wish them continued success. However, the op-ed contained factual inaccuracies that need clarification.

The City Council and staff want to be clear: the safety of the facility’s residents, surrounding businesses, and the community has been, and remains, the City’s top priority. Kirkland requires Plymouth Housing to provide a code of conduct, good neighbor agreement, and safety plan approved by the Kirkland Police Department before the facility opens.

Here are eight key facts about King County’s permanent supportive housing facility opening this year in Kirkland:

This is not a “homeless hotel” – it’s permanent housing. The former La Quinta Inn in Kirkland is being significantly renovated into apartments. Like any apartment building, all residents will undergo screening and will pay rent.

There will be 24/7/365 on-site oversight. Plymouth Housing will provide around-the-clock staffing and property management.

Residents will access wrap-around services. On-site staff will connect tenants with substance use treatment, case management, healthcare, behavioral health counseling, employment counseling, and more to help them rebuild stable lives.

The Kirkland Police Department will review and approve a safety plan before the facility opens. The City required Plymouth Housing to develop this document before accepting tenants.

All residents must follow a code of conduct to remain tenants. The code of conduct prohibits firearms, weapons, illegal substances, violence, and more.  View the draft code of conduct.

All federal, state, and local laws apply to all residents and visitors. Drug use, theft, and violent behavior remain illegal, just as they are for any other Kirkland resident.

The City has not prohibited anyone from speaking on this topic at a Council meeting or rejected input. Since its announcement in 2022, Kirkland has actively engaged the community. Our town hall drew 250 attendees, followed by focus groups with nearly 50 participants. A public hearing featured 22 speakers. City staff have attended numerous community and stakeholder meetings and sent frequent email updates (sign up here). The City, County, and Plymouth continue monthly meetings with nearby businesses. Additionally, the City has tried to respond directly to the correspondence it has received to date.

Kirkland faces real challenges with homelessness. The City received over 300 community calls about unsheltered people in the past five years. Our homeless outreach coordinator engaged more than 160 unhoused or at-risk individuals in the last nine months. Because Kirkland does not allow people to camp in parks, on sidewalks, under bridges, or in other public spaces, the City provided 64 households—including 13 children—with hotel vouchers over 29 nights during our recent frigid weather. People experiencing homelessness are here and need our support.

In his op-ed, Mr. Mistele highlights that a homeless person once entered his offices. He asked, “shouldn’t Kirkland be better than this?” Yes, Kirkland should be better than this. Leaving folks unhoused and hoping they go away is not a solution. Helping them is. Supporting a facility to provide stable and safe homes with 24-hour supervision, wrap-around services, a police-approved safety plan, and a code of conduct that prohibits illegal activity is one way we can be better.

Kurt Triplett is City Manager for the City of Kirkland and a special contributor to MyNorthwest.