When the forecast shows a high probability of incoming weather that meets our activation thresholds, and KCRHA leadership decides to activate severe weather protocols, a county-wide effort begins to prepare designated spaces to open as shelters. We aim to provide 72 hours’ notice of an activation, but the weather does not always give us 72 hours’ notice.
When an activation is announced, our contracted service provider partners begin lining up staffing to:
- Open additional space for longer hours
- Make sure those spaces are clean and ready
- Ensure there are enough supplies such as bed mats, blankets, food, and other supplies on-site and ready to be used
This “activate as needed” approach to severe weather is a result of needing to make a limited budget stretch as far as possible, but it produces a high degree of exhaustion and burnout among staff. It can also create confusion among people seeking shelter, as what shelters are available is dependent on the level of activation, the availability of the space, and staffing capacity. Because of these challenges, KCRHA has been advocating for seasonal shelters — shelters that stay open during severe weather seasons. It gives organizations running a shelter predictable staffing needs, and people experiencing homelessness a predictable place to go.
Last month, thanks to the efforts of local elected officials and in partnership with Lake City Partners (LCP), Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), Salvation Army, and Urban League, we were able to open the first four seasonal shelters in Seattle. They are expected to remain open through December 31, with LCP’s shelter staying open through March—but they may continue operating, depending on available funds.
Lake City Partners operates one of the seasonal shelters and explained the differences and benefits of seasonal shelter:
“Severe weather shelters are short-term, emergency “pop-up” options that activate only when temperatures hit dangerous thresholds. Seasonal winter shelters, on the other hand, operate continuously throughout the winter months, regardless of daily weather conditions. For King County, where we face a significant shortage of year-round shelter beds, that distinction is critical.
Many of our community members can, or even prefer to, remain outside most of the year for a variety of reasons: concerns about illness in congregate settings, lack of privacy, safety or theft issues, or strict program requirements like curfews. However, during the winter months, unsheltered individuals often reach a point where sleeping outside is no longer physically safe. Imagine being outside in the cold, day after day, without any real reprieve—seasonal winter shelter provides that essential respite. We are also seeing an increase in older adults who are becoming homeless for the first time. Many lose housing unexpectedly—sometimes in the middle of winter—and have no familiarity with the homeless response system or available resources. Vulnerable populations like this need dependable, low-barrier places such as winter shelters to stay warm, safe, and connected to staff who can guide them toward long-term stability.
From LCP’s perspective, setting up a winter shelter each year is a true community effort. While we can provide staffing, operations, and guest support, we rely heavily on partners in the community—such as faith communities—who are willing to open their buildings for overnight shelter. Without the generosity of our church partners this season, we simply wouldn’t have had a space to hold our winter shelter. Their willingness to share their facilities quite literally saves lives.”
These shelters will be open every night, regardless of the weather.
Combined, the four seasonal shelters add 109 beds each night spread across four different neighborhoods in Seattle, spanning from North Seattle to South Seattle.
This offers unsheltered Seattleites a consistent space to come inside, warm up and dry off, connect to services, and get many of their basic needs met.
Seasonal shelter is also a tremendous amount of work—but it is predictable work that our service provider partners can plan much more effectively for. It allows our partners to hire seasonal staff, rather than redeploy existing staff, avoiding high levels of exhaustion and burnout. It allows them to consistently budget time and resources for daily shelter tasks like cleaning and laundry.
Most importantly, seasonal shelter provides warm spaces for unsheltered neighbors to go during the cold and rainy months, when the current weather does not quite meet activation thresholds for standing up emergency shelters.
Thank you to everyone who collaborated to open these spaces, and all of the staff that operate them.
Find information about these shelters on our Severe Weather page, under the Seattle regional dropdown.
