Homeless agency tells Kenmore and Shoreline the region needs a shelter open all winter

By Oliver Moffatt

On Monday, September 23, 2024 representatives from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) presented an update to both the Shoreline city council and the Kenmore city council.

In 2023, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell and Woodinville signed an agreement with KCRHA to provide coordinated homeless services in North King County. These five North King County cities awarded a combined $315,661 in 2023 towards homeless services. But, despite a rising homeless population, that total funding dropped to $265,161 in 2024 after Bothell, Kenmore, and Woodinville reduced their combined funding this year.

A chart from KCRHA shows city funding for homeless programs in North King County

Shoreline currently spends 1% of its nearly $6,861,000 budget on homelessness and human services but the city recently asked the council for an additional $323,400 for a dedicated full-time employee and increased support for the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center, homelessness outreach, severe weather sheltering, utility assistance, and holiday baskets.

Expressing an interest in providing more funding to address homelessness, Councilmember Keith Scully told KCRHA, “when we talk about the transportation improvement plan, the parks budget: we’re talking millions, tens, sometimes hundreds of millions… when we talk about social services: we’re talking thousands.”

According to the KCRHA report, the North King County region lags behind the rest of the county in providing shelter during severe weather and a professionally staffed seasonal shelter that stays open all winter would help connect unhoused people with services to help them exit homelessness.

In 2023, a severe weather shelter staffed by volunteers at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church since 2019 closed leaving unhoused people in North King County nowhere to go during severe cold weather - in response, Shoreline police officers paid for hotel rooms out of their own pockets.

A chart from KCRHA shows Shoreline’s funding for homeless programs

Earlier this year, a professionally staffed severe weather shelter opened at St. Dunstan’s. The city of Shoreline provided $25,000 in funding and Lake Forest Park provided $16,344 while Bothell, Kenmore, and Woodinville cut their combined funding by $20,000 this year.

Now, KCRHA is looking for potential host sites in the North King County region for a “seasonal shelter” that will stay open all winter long instead of only activating during severe weather events. The agency also wants to provide better transportation for people seeking shelter in North King County.

Every other year, the county is required to conduct an Unsheltered point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness. The count is widely criticized as an undercount. 

According to the KCRHA’s 2024 point-in-time count, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the region increased to 16,385 (a 23% increase) from the 2022 estimate. Although the agency hasn’t released comprehensive data yet, a KCRHA told Shoreline’s council the Ronald United Methodist Church on Aurora in Shoreline was the second busiest counting site in region after downtown Seattle.