SEATTLE — King County’s newest permanent housing facility is set to open on Thursday, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Wednesday.
The Northgate Health Through Housing location, which was purchased by the county in July 2021, has 115 available units. A total of 20 units will be reserved for double occupancy and more than 130 people are scheduled to move in this month.
“DESC’s Health Through Housing Northgate is our next step in providing what we used to call ‘shelter’, evolving from the major changes we made early in the pandemic. Those changes, made to keep people safe, also turned out to be better for our guests overall, reducing stress and allowing them to stabilize and pursue goals,” said Downtown Emergency Service Center Executive Director Daniel Malone. “And just as we do in our permanent supportive housing, we will have 24/7 staffing, with supportive services for our guests.”
The Northgate location is the fifth to open since the Health Through Housing initiative began last year. Through this initiative, King County will partner with local jurisdictions to create up to 1,600 emergency housing and permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing chronic homelessness by the end of 2022.
“Last year, we set out an ambitious plan to tackle chronic homelessness in our region, and we are making good on that promise, with 971 units purchased to date and nearly 500 opened homes. And now, before this month ends, another 135 people will have a safe and stable place to call home,” said Constantine. “King County will continue to push ahead on our Health Through Housing – steadily selecting operators, opening new locations, and serving residents with the wraparound services they need to take command of their lives.”
Last week, King County celebrated the opening of Bertha Pitts Campbell Place, which brought 100 units of supportive housing to Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood.
An additional 100 units of supportive housing are set to open in Bitter Lake in early August. Salmonberry Lofts in Pioneer Square, with 80 units of housing, is forecast to open in September.
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