Homeless Hotel Will House 35-65% Adults With Local Community Ties

Redmond Silver Cloud Homeless Hotel
 credit Kirkland Reporter

King County is partnered with Redmond to provide emergency and permanent housing for up to 100 individuals experiencing, or at risk of chronic homelessness. Redmond's "Homeless Hotel" will open in early Winter 2024 after ramping down its temporary use for the refugee resettlement project. 

The Salvation Army was selected as operator in September 2023.  They will develop a gradual, phased approach for housing up to 100 individuals at this site. 

Q: Who will be considered to live in the building? 

A: The target population is adults whose income is at or below 30% of the area median and who are experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness. 35-65% of units are prioritized for individuals with local community ties. 

Q: Will the building have 24/7 staffing? 

A: All Health Through Housing buildings have 24/7 on-site support staff and comprehensive, wraparound services, including: • Employment navigators • Behavioral health services available on-site • Connection to physical and behavioral health care • Assistance in enrolling in Apple Health and other public benefits 

Q: Will The Salvation Army provide these services? 

A: The Salvation Army will provide property management and 24/7 support staffing services in-house. The Salvation Army will also partner with King County’s Department of Community and Human Services and local service providers to provide the wraparound services. 

Q: Will there be security? 

A: The Redmond Homeless Hotel will have experienced, 24/7 on-site staff who are trained in trauma-informed care, crisis support, and de-escalation techniques. As an evidence-based model, permanent supportive housing does not feature security guard services, but it does call for clinically trained staff to be on-site and on-duty around the clock. Further, The Salvation Army will be responsible for developing a Safety and Security Plan as required by Redmond Zoning Code 

Q: What support does King County have from the City of Redmond? 

A: The City of Redmond supports this regional approach and is working in partnership with the County to bring more people inside. This support looks like approving an operational agreement, coordinating a local referral process with support from the City’s Homeless Outreach program, and working to ensure that community input is used to inform future success for the program, participants, and surrounding neighborhood. 

Q: What is the plan for community engagement? 

A: King County and the City of Redmond will start right away to form a Community Advisory Group. This group will create the Community Relations Plan that details a structure and frequency for ongoing community engagement and commits King County, the City of Redmond, The Salvation Army, and the local community to a collective agreement that describes how the parties will communicate and resolve concerns when they arise. 

Q: How soon will the site open for occupancy? 

A: The building is slated to welcome the first residents in early 2024.

For accommodation requests, including an interpreter, as well as questions or concerns, please email health.through.housing@kingcounty.gov.  (Source) 

Posted by Bob Yoder, 10/24/2023