Permanent Homeless Shelter | October 13, 2017 | Megan Campbell

Bro. Shawn Abdul, Operations Manager for Housing and Community Development, Catholic Housing Services, talks at a public meeting at Salt House in late September about the plans for the permanent shelter to be located in Kirkland, WA.

Several faith-based organizations, in partner with local agencies and municipalities, are working to create a permanent homeless shelter that will house women and families living on the Eastside.

The $8 million project will result in a two-story, 16,243-square-foot building located on the northwest corner of the Salt House property in Kirkland, located at 11920 N.E. 80th St., across from Lake Washington High School and west of Kirkland Cemetery. Salt House is currently in the process of selling this portion of land to the City of Kirkland.

The shelter will offer a safe place for families and single women to sleep, store their belongings, shower, do their laundry, eat a meal and access housing resources and case management.

The first floor, operated by Catholic Community Services, will house the family shelter, with a capacity for about 50 people. There will also be a day center for families on this floor.

The second floor, operated by The Sophia Way, will house single women, with a capacity for about 50 people. There will also be a day center on this floor for single women.

The day center increases the building’s capacity from about 100 to 160 or 170, said Kim Saunders, Salt House council president.

In addition to Catholic Community Services, The Sophia Way and Salt House, the New Bethlehem Project, which opened the New Bethlehem Day Center in the Salt House basement nearly a year ago, Catholic Housing Services, A Regional Coalition for Housing and the City of Kirkland are involved in the creation of this new permanent shelter.

For more on this project click here