Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts

Committed and compassionate people needed

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

St. Dunstan's will be the new home of the
Shoreline Severe Winter Shelter

Help make this coming winter safe for those lacking adequate shelter.

After successfully piloting the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter last winter, the City of Shoreline and NUHSA welcome St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church as a partner and host for this winter's emergency shelter.

Volunteers (over 18 years old):
  • are needed to commit to being on-call for a certain number of nights each month between November 1st and March 30th (shelter will open only when weather is below 34 degrees F).
  • will be provided with training and then will be responsible for welcoming guests and supervising the shelter overnight (partial shifts can be arranged).
  • will be paired with another person and can trade off sleeping and being awake as only one person needs to be awake for fire watch between 11pm and 5am.

COVID-19 protocols and requirements will be implemented. For more information or to volunteer, please email staff@nuhsa.org or call 206-550-5626.

Thank you for making a difference!



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City of Shoreline collaborates with Lake City Partners on 24/7 "Enhanced Shelter"

Saturday, August 29, 2020

The Oaks building proposed for an Enhanced Shelter is a sprawling, one-story facility on the corner of N 165th and Aurora.


The City of Shoreline and Lake City Partners have announced plans to work in partnership with King County to turn the former Oaks Nursing Home at 16357 Aurora Ave N in Shoreline into a 24/7 "enhanced shelter" for homeless individuals. The shelter will help address an unmet need in North King County for a 24/7 shelter.

The City and representatives from Lake City Partners will host a community meeting via Zoom on September 22, 2020 at 6:30pm to go over the plans for the facility, answer questions, and to listen to the community’s concerns. Representatives from King County will also attend and be available for questions. Go to shorelinewa.gov/NKCEnhancedShelter for information on how to participate in the meeting.

“The City of Shoreline is deeply committed to taking on the challenge of homelessness in our community, but it is no less committed to ensuring that all of our neighborhoods are safe and healthy,” stated Shoreline Mayor Will Hall. 
“We believe this shelter can provide a needed service to our community while also being a good neighbor.”

“After many years of coordinating services for people experiencing homelessness in the north King County area, Lake City Partners is very pleased with the opportunity to expand shelter to a 24/7 year-round model,” said Melanie Neufeld, Director of Lake City Partners. 

“Our housing outreach, day center, and winter shelter programs have built relationships with people living without homes with the goal of ending homelessness one household at a time. Last year we supported 124 households from homelessness into permanent housing. 

"The Aurora Oaks facility provides a real opportunity to create safety for people living outside during this pandemic and offers a setting to be solution-focused in the work of transitioning people into safe and affordable housing.”


When the Shoreline City Council adopted its 2020-2022 Council Goals, it made siting a 24/7 shelter to serve homeless single adults in north King County a priority. In early July, the owner of the Oaks Nursing Home notified the City that they were planning on selling the facility. Since this is an unanticipated opportunity, the City, in partnership with King County, has had to move quickly to secure the site.

Its prior use as a nursing home makes the facility particularly well-suited to provide a safe housing option. 

Separate rooms are the best way to protect both residents and staff from spreading Coronavirus or other airborne illness. 

In addition, having a shelter with individual rooms provides more dignity to individuals as they work to stabilize their health and find permanent housing. 

The facility is already fully accessible and is equipped with basic fire safety requirements, including an alarm and sprinkler system. In addition, it is on a major arterial and close to a bus stop. Being presented with a facility that needs little work to make it shelter-ready is a unique opportunity to quickly provide a resource that has been missing in our community.

Enhanced Shelter is a particular type of Emergency Shelter that serves guests seven days a week around the clock. It recognizes that individuals need to have safe and stable shelter to effectively address the challenges preventing long-term housing stability. 

Access to the shelter will be based on an individual’s ability to maintain behaviors that are safe in a community setting. 

The Shelter will also provide case management, meals, hygiene, health services, and laundry. Drug and alcohol use will not be allowed in the facility. Local first responders; social service agencies in Shoreline and North King County; and outreach staff employed by the program will refer individuals to the facility.


Lake City Partners will run the facility. This organization, formed out of a neighborhood task force beginning in 2007, has coordinated winter shelter for the last five years. Since 2018, they have partnered with the City of Shoreline to provide homeless outreach services and last winter supported the operation of the severe weather shelter in Shoreline. 

Lake City Partners works with a network of more than 600 volunteers including members of the faith community, social service organizations, homeless advocates, governmental agencies, and neighbors to provide shelter and housing navigation services to help bring stability to individuals facing homelessness.

King County is providing funding to purchase the property for use in the near-term as a 24/7 enhanced shelter, with a long-term plan to redevelop the property for permanent supportive housing. Operational funding for the enhanced shelter is expected from King County, pending approval of a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The City of Shoreline will provide additional operational funding.

The Shoreline City Council’s decision to collaborate with King County is driven, in part, by the rising number of people experiencing homelessness in Shoreline and our neighboring North King County communities. 

There is a demonstrated need for more shelter space, both locally and regionally. The annual “Point-In-Time” count in 2020 found 260 people experiencing homelessness in north King County, with 56 of them unsheltered.



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Notes from Shoreline City Council August 17, 2020

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Reporter Pam Cross


Shoreline City Council Meeting
August 17, 2020

Notes by Pam Cross


The meeting was held online using the Zoom platform.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm
All Councilmembers were present.

Report of the City Manager’s Office, Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 Update Please continue to take prevention measures seriously.

Face coverings are required in all indoor public places, and outdoors when you may be unable to maintain six feet of distance from others. Businesses are required to enforce the use of face coverings for all customers and visitors. Masks are also required in common spaces like elevators and public hallways, even when you are alone in those spaces.

Practice physical distancing of six feet or more, minimize contact with those outside of your home, wash and sanitize your hands frequently, and avoid large gatherings and poorly ventilated spaces.

Get tested at the first sign of illness.

The safest thing you can do is to stay home if at all possible.

City Hall and recreation facilities remain closed to the public. Most City services are available online or by phone. Drop off and pick up of packages, including permits, is available. Contact Shoreline remote services for additional information.

Yard Sign Art and Sign Parade Citywide

Thanks to all of the participants who helped Celebrate Shoreline! and our 25th birthday by displaying artwork along the Interurban Trail and throughout the community.

The Can Castle Contest is currently being judged. Winners will be announced soon.


Bring your cans of food to Spartan Rec from 2-5pm on Aug 19, or to the Shoreline Farmers Market from 11am-1pm on Aug 22. They will deliver the donations to Hopelink! All donations are welcome.

Please don’t bring donations directly to Hopelink! as they are not currently accepting donations directly from the public.

SR 522/NE 145th Stride BRT

This is the final week of the Online Open House. Learn more about Sound Transit’s Stride bus rapid transit coming to SR522/NE 145th and share your thoughts on your travel preferences. More information is available at SR522 BRT

Fall Recreation Registration

Registration opens soon for fall recreation programs, including “Out of School Time” camps that will provide full-day camp opportunities for kids and teens that support remote learning and provide other activities. Shoreline schools are opening remotely and these camps will be helpful to working parents who are unable to work from home and do not have access to other childcare options.

Registration dates are Tuesday, Sept 8 for Shoreline residents; Thursday Sept 10 for LFP residents; Friday Sept 11 general registration.

More information at shorelinewa.gov/registration

Public Reminders

Planning commission will meet Thursday, Aug 20 and Thursday, Sept 3 at 7pm

PRCS/Tree board will meet Thursday, Aug 27 at 7pm

All meetings will take place remotely. For information on how to participate, go to shorelinewa.gov/calendar

This is the last Council meeting before recess. The next Council meeting will take place on Sept 14.

City Hall will be closed for business on Monday Sept 7, Labor Day.


Council Reports

Mayor Hall, on behalf of Council, proclaimed Sept 2020 as National Recovery Month in Shoreline. This year’s theme in King County is “Rising Above it All: Wellness, Resilience, and Recovery.” Among other goals the hope is to encourage individuals and communities to take action to help expand the availability of effective prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for families and individuals in need.

Mayor Hall read a letter from the City Council to Eric Friedli congratulating him on his retirement, and thanking him for his dedication and leadership contributions to the City Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services/Tree Board.


Public Comment

Due to the number of speakers, time was limited to 2 minutes each. Complete comments can be listened to in the video of the meeting available on the Shoreline website. Written comments are also available.

Navigation Center 16357 Aurora Ave N. 
One story, sprawling building with parking lot in front.
Hedges in front, then grassy area, sidewalk and street tree.



The following speakers had many questions about locating a Navigation Center at the intersection of 165th and Aurora. They expressed multiple concerns, including the lack of public outreach to the neighborhood, local businesses, and schools prior to selecting this location for this occupancy.

Vancouver, WA and Seattle both have Navigation Centers but neither is close to single family homes or schools. Council should look how these low barrier facilities have impacted those neighborhoods. This location is in close proximity to schools, parks, and a daycare. At the previous meeting Councilmembers mentioned homeless families with children and people suffering temporary distress. But this Center is for adult single males. Why not women and children? It is not clear what the shelter’s rules will be. Navigation Centers do not require residents to stay. They can possess drugs but cannot use them at the Center. Where do you think drugs will be used? There are already problems with drug use in the park. What exactly is “low barrier”? If there are no requirements for entry, can residents still be asked to leave? It does not appear that residents are required to take any social services or to sleep there, and some prefer to sleep outside near the centers. We need to look at the long term effect on the community. Can we expect crime rates to increase? Prostitution? Drug dealing? These results near other low barrier centers have been reported in the local news. Will Shoreline Place still be as attractive to the developers and future tenants? There are time constraints on the purchase, but that should not be an excuse to skip public outreach before this decision is made. Council is ignoring the concerns of the citizens’ safety. Owners of single family homes have rights too. Who will take responsibility for the safety of the children?

Vinay Venkatesh, Shoreline
Mithuna Srinivasan, Shoreline
Guru TG, Shoreline
Gaurav Bansal, Shoreline
Sudeeptha Jothiprakash, Shoreline
Joanne Godmintz, Shoreline
Nancy Pfeil, Shoreline
DJ Kong, Shoreline


The following speakers expressed concerns about Shoreline police and the Council with respect to Black Lives Matter and the response of police to people of color in Shoreline.

The speakers would like to see greater participation in BLM events by members of the Council to show their support for the Black youth who are organizing in favor of equal treatment. There is support for defunding the police and specifically prohibiting use of assault rifles by the police. A person brandishing a knife does not need to be shot by an assault rifle that is designed to kill, not wound, the target. Shouldn’t a taser be used instead? $34M could be better spent on social services and expanding the Response Awareness De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) program. Council needs to hold the police accountable for their actions. At a single incident, police are slow or unresponsive to calls from POC, while arriving quickly when someone calls to report the actions of POC. People have cell phone cameras and will be using them to “police the police.” Speakers don’t want to live in a city that isn’t welcoming to all.

They would like to see BLM events shown in the Shoreline Currents for those that rely on that as their source of information about Shoreline activities.

Rosa Rice-Pelepko, Shoreline
Courtney Ewing, Shoreline
Kara Adams, Shoreline,
Benjamin Hanowell, Shoreline
William Oliver, Shoreline
Stephanie Angelis, LFP
Corinna Sullivan, Shoreline

Mayor Hall stated they are listening to BLM, and paying attention to emails and phone calls, and marches. They hear and agree with the urgent need to stamp out racism. We cannot silently allow racism to exist in a just society. Council acknowledges it is part of the system that has denied rights to black and indigenous people. Laws have been changed but racism still exists in many different forms. They have heard that POC don’t feel safe or treated equitably by police when everyone should feel safe and that is Council’s responsibility. We have a long way to go. We should all speak out against racism.


Approval of the Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.
The Consent Calendar adopted unanimously by roll call vote
.


ACTION ITEMS

Action Item 8(a) Public Hearing to Receive Comments on Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Sound Transit’s Offers on and to Execute Modification of Plat Restrictions (Dull’s Subdivision No. 2) That Affects a City-owned Parcel (PN 2111600046) and First Amendment of Protective Covenants (Shoreline Park Subdivision) That Affects a City-owned Parcel (PN 7772400200)

Juniper Nammi, Light Rail Project Manager, presented the staff report.

Lot in Shoreline Park subdivision owned by city.

Sound Transit acquired properties for the Lynnwood Link Extension (LLE) project within seven subdivisions which are bound by restrictive covenants on the subdivision plat that govern how property within the subdivision can or cannot be used. Sound Transit needs to alter these plats to modify the restrictive covenants so they no longer apply to the property that it has acquired within this subdivision so the LLE project can be built and operated on these properties.

Sound Transit wants to remove these restrictive covenants only from the properties they acquired, not from the whole subdivision. In order to remove the parcels from the subdivisions, State law requires they offer compensation in the form of payments based on property value impact of proposed changes to remaining property owners. All other property owners have accepted the offers to date. Sound Transit held its own public hearing in May 2019.

For the Old Ridgecrest park (parking lot), $30k has been offered to the City and for Shoreline Park, Tract A, designated parks property used for surface water pump station, $40k has been offered.

Public Hearing opened for Comment

No one signed up. Additional time allowed to make comments. There were no speakers.

DISCUSSION

No additional discussion

Vote: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Sound Transit’s Offers passed unanimously 7-0


STUDY ITEMS

County Councilmember
Rod Dembowski

Study Item 9(a) Discussion of Issues of Shared Interest with King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski


King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski represents the 1st Council District in King County, which includes the City of Shoreline. Consequently, Councilmember Dembowski and the City Council have a shared interest in maintaining a common understanding of information, interests and priorities that make a difference in the lives of Shoreline residents. Tonight’s conversation will explore some of those shared interests.

King County Councilmember Dembowski:

The County has been focused on Covid-19. We are fortunate to have a great public health department with very capable folks providing a coordinated health response. 

It appears that numbers of infection, hospitalizations and deaths are declining because people are taking it seriously. 

Thanks to the City of Shoreline for providing the location for the ACRC (Assessment Recovery Center) at Shoreline Center. They are currently assessing what is needed to restore the playfields so they can proceed to get them back to their original state.

Transit ridership is down substantially and a slow comeback is expected even after a vaccine is available. We think we’ll see permanent changes as more people work from home into next year or maybe permanently.

The system of peak hours for transit has been shifting to all-day-frequent network. Actually, this system will be easier to run. We are fortunate Light Rail will be opening in Shoreline as these changes happen. Metro service is changing routes to feed light rail. 

Because revenue is sales tax driven, we have lost several million dollars. Over 10 years it is expected to reach $2B. We did receive some federal money that helped mitigate that loss, but Metro was still forced to do some layoffs and offers of early retirement. Now we can shift to rebuilding. Metro requires passengers to wear masks, but they rely on voluntary compliance. Masks are now available on the buses. Metro is still not charging fares in order to try to protect the operators by boarding at the back (fee boxes are in the front, next to the driver).

The County received about $282M in federal CARES Act money and passed out about $175M to date for public health response, food security, housing support, behavioral health support and economic recovery. There are a lot of subprograms within those categories including veterans and senior citizens. The County is providing support to respond to youth homelessness in Shoreline. The City has provided zoning and support, housing, and more shelter space. 

We were able to get a $55K commitment for a Youth Homelessness Advocate funded through Youth Care as a resource centered in Shoreline. This is less costly than a drop-in facility while providing a means to connect kids to items that are available already.

As respects the public comments regarding the proposed Navigation Shelter:

Shoreline has a great reputation for wanting to do its share for the homeless. The Third Door Coalition proposal is pretty specific on how to solve homelessness: 6,000 new housing units. (The Third Door Coalition is an all-volunteer, cross-sector group of business, nonprofit providers, healthcare professionals, academics and advocates.) And they are asking every community to step up and take a share of that. The neighbors have valid concerns. But we need to work with the community to make this work. 60 isn’t that many people. We believe people commit fewer crimes when they have housing and feel safer. So while we understand the concerns, we can talk through them and mitigate them. Interim shelter use is a path to permanent housing. We got rid of old fashioned shelters where people can stay only for the night. Because it doesn’t bring stability, it doesn’t work. People feel much more stable if they can lock their door, eat a meal, and have access to services. We hope Shoreline will be a partner in this venture.

Finally, we’re excited about getting the Conservation Futures Tax levy (CFT) dollars to acquire new park land at the intersection of 185th and Ashworth in Echo Lake.


DISCUSSION

Navigation center.

Part of the reason people have concerns is a result of zero public outreach before Council pretty much gave it a thumbs up. That is unfair to the neighborhood and the City as a whole. Councilmembers may not have been aware of the nature of the nearby businesses. Developers of Shoreline Place have expressed serious concerns about the effect on leasing. The building with individual rooms is great, but the location is terrible for a harder-to-house population of single adult males. This has happened so quickly we need public outreach. People want this project paused so they can really have a say, or maybe even use it for women and children. Shoreline is generous and people realize something needs to be done about the homeless, but this is a well-kept neighborhood of single family homes with a lot of kids. The Navigation Centers in existence are not very successful and have introduced a problem that is impossible to eradicate overnight. A neighborhood may not immediately collapse when a low barrier center is opened, but a neighborhood can die slowly and not recover.

Reply: I have heard from many Shoreline residents on this. I agree it needs to go through the process because these are legitimate concerns. It was expedited due to the unexpected offer of the property. People support housing for women and children - single men are tough. Some are vets. Some just need help with sobriety. In Kenmore, very similar concerns were expressed even though it was a Mary’s Place for families. That shelter has been a success and the neighbors’ worries did not develop. One way to make it work is to manage the size. Renton’s Red Lion that was leased for 200 occupants has been a problem overwhelming Renton and had adverse impacts on many of the businesses.

An occupancy of 60 is small?

Reply: That’s what I was told. Between 50-100 is the target with 100 the maximum they want. There’s a sweet spot to bring in cost effective services.

So the goal is having the residents meeting with a counselor? Getting diagnosed?

Reply: That’s my understanding, with referrals to other agencies for services. Someone mentioned that occupants don’t have to sleep there. I hadn’t heard that and that should be handled with rules and restrictions. Homelessness is a problem in Shoreline just like everywhere else. A lot of people are sleeping on benches or living in cars or RV’s, tucked in street ends or parking lots here and there. So we need to get them in housing. Housing first works. But it needs to be in the right place. Identifying if this is the “right place” is a reasonable request. We need to do the actual process, not just a listening session.

We need a facility in the North End of the County because that is where these people live. We can’t pick and choose and select only women and children. The men need a place to sleep too, so they’re not in the parks or on the Interurban Trail. When Ronald Commons was planned we heard the same fears. They did not turn into reality. Ronald Commons does house women and children, and is very well run which has helped tremendously. Where else would the Navigation Center go? The City needs to be part of solving how this facility can be well run. If we don’t do this now, it probably won’t be done for 10 more years.

Reply: Because of Ronald Commons, youth homelessness has reduced significantly in Shoreline.

Why do we have to have a low barrier facility? Could we add some barriers to alleviate some concerns?

Reply: I think It is possible to negotiate the terms of the population it serves. Maybe that’s all on the table? We’re doing pretty well for women and children, but transitional housing for single adult males is tough. There is the partnering with the King County Housing farther north on Aurora, that is for the hard to serve. (The City of Shoreline, in partnership with King County, Community Psychiatric Clinic, and Catholic Housing Services, is developing 80-100 units of permanent supportive housing for people that were homeless or experiencing housing instability. This includes individuals dealing with chronic mental illness.) King County doesn’t have the time or money to house the goal of 6,000 people, so acquiring hotels or congregate care facilities like this one lowers the cost and brings a solution much quicker. That is the appeal of this facility.

Some Councilmembers were unaware of the daycare that has been there for 30 years. The owner is concerned that people won’t continue to bring their children there. There’s a children’s baseball center that has the same concern. Kids aged 10-18 hang out before and after events, meeting parents who are dropping off or picking up. There is a lot of youth activity that is unsupervised so it’s really important to recognize this issue. We need public input before it’s opened. The occupants should be required to take the services.

Reply: Neighboring businesses had the same fears in Kenmore. Let’s dialog and let’s learn. What is a “navigation center”? What does that mean? Fear is a natural response to limited knowledge. There is drug activity occurring now in public without a Navigation Center.

We need to work with the community to recognize their needs so they feel safe and secure. But if you think about it, apartments are low barrier and so are single family homes.

Reply: The long term vision is permanent housing.

(Comment: the operations of the Navigation Center, including staffing, services provided and rules of conduct, were not included in the staff report for the August 10th meeting.)

Please provide an update on the King County Charter Amendments

Reply: Every 10 years King County reviews their Charter to make sure it’s fresh. Several proposed amendments will be on the November ballot.

There are clerical changes such as changing “citizen” to “resident” and conforming language to current State law to make surplus property available below market value when used for affordable housing; Subpoena power for the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO). This citizens group represents the interests of the public in its efforts to hold the King County Sheriff’s Office accountable for providing fair and just police services; Modifications to Inquests when there’s an in-custody death in jail or by police; Allowing County Council to establish or modify the duties of the King County Sheriff; and Return to King County Sheriff as an Appointed Position for the ability to recruit nationwide, hire a Sheriff who is not a politician since they would not be elected, and ease of making changes to the position if necessary. Incidentally, cities like Shoreline who don’t have their own police force don’t get to vote for the Sheriff. Voters in Seattle, Kent ,Renton, Bellevue, Auburn and others that have their own police departments do.

Study Item 9(b) Discussion of Updates on Secure Scheduling

The staff report was presented by

Emily Rankin, City Manager’s Office Fellow
Christina Arcidy, CMO Management Analyst

On March 27, 2017, staff presented a discussion summarizing the intent and scope of secure scheduling regulations implemented in the city of Seattle. 

The Seattle Ordinance provided predictable hours and pay, advance notice of work schedules, the right to request schedule preferences and other employee rights for 1) retail and quick/limited food service establishments with more than 500 employees worldwide, and 2) full-service restaurant chains with more than 500 employees and 40 restaurant locations worldwide. Now that two years have passed, Council wanted to discuss the findings from the implementation and impact of Seattle’s ordinance, and determine if there is interest in implementing similar regulations in Shoreline.

A constantly changing schedule is bad for the employee and results in unpredictable pay and an inability to make a work/personal life balance. These jobs are held disproportionally by POC compared to city demographics.

After the first year, there was some improvement. However, managers were frustrated with the process and didn’t understand predictability pay. There was poor knowledge of the regulations among workers, especially those with limited English proficiency. Some corporations assigned a Human Resource person to assist, while others did not.

How would similar regulations affect Shoreline? The City would have to determine what regulations are appropriate here and what work places they would apply to. The City would have to develop penalty and enforcement mechanisms. This would entail outreach to businesses and employees, and an analysis of other cities. The Shoreline Municipal Code would have to be updated as appropriate. About 65 Shoreline businesses (2.25%) could be affected.

Because of the limited results and the use of resources, staff does not recommend moving forward with an Ordinance. It would be a big expense for a small proportion of jobs in Shoreline.

DISCUSSION

The purpose of the regulations is to make bad places better. Some businesses do it anyway, but this is intended for the ones that don’t. I don’t see expenditure of significant resources. It is a good way to make sure all Shoreline businesses are good places to work.

There was something in the staff report about a House and Senate bill? How expensive is it to pursue at the State level? Making the change at the State level would make more sense.

Reply by Assistant City Manager John Norris: There is some movement at the State level. We don’t know if it will move forward.

Does staff have time to start looking at an ordinance?

Reply: They would have to put this into their work plan after first establishing its priority. It might be next year before they can come back with an ordinance. It will definitely impact other work.

I’m trying to remember why we brought this up back in 2017. Were there employee issues in Shoreline? Or did we want to me-too with Seattle? Because right now, with the situation caused by the COVID pandemic, this is not the ideal time to address this. The businesses are working different hours with restricted customer access, some closed, some re-opened and closed again. They are working with limited staff and so forth. Maybe the State will address it. Why overwork our staff with something that’s not that critical. The cities mentioned in the staff report are much larger than Shoreline.

Appreciate the intent and the need to protect workers. In reality, this should have been addressed long ago. But the State level is better.

Council is generally in agreement to not move this forward at this time. Recent events have presented challenges with our budget as well as the problems the companies are having. If the City had additional resources, it would make more sense to put those funds towards diversity and inclusion. Do not view as a priority now.

Meeting adjourned.

Council held a Closed Session via Zoom following the meeting.

CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO RCW 42.30.140(4)(b) – Discussing Collective Bargaining

Per 42.30.140(4)(b) Council may hold a closed session to plan or adopt a strategy or position to be taken by the City Council during the course of any collective bargaining.




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Shoreline council to consider a new 60 bed homeless shelter on Aurora

Friday, August 7, 2020

The Oak Tree on Aurora (formerly Arden Rehab)
could become a King county homeless shelter


By Diane Hettrick

In April, Council adopted Council Goal No. 5, Action Step No. 7: Begin a process of developing partnerships with North King County cities and other key stakeholders in support of siting a 24/7 shelter/navigation center to serve homeless single adults in North King County.

In response to this Council direction, staff has been working to explore options for the siting of a 24/7 shelter for single homeless adults to serve the North King County area. 

A convergence of recent events has created an opportunity for the siting of a shelter much more quickly than could have been anticipated.

In June, staff became aware that The Oaks at Forest Bay Nursing Home (The Oaks), (formerly Arden Rehab) located at 16357 Aurora Ave N, was closing and the property was going to be offered for sale. 

Since that time, King County has expressed interest in obtaining the property and partnering with the King County Housing Authority for potential acquisition.

King county would be able to take advantage of funds recently released by the federal Department of Commerce to purchase the property. Part of the requirements for getting the funds is that the shelter has to be up and running by December of this year.

As the facility is already in operation, this would require very little work for compliance.  

The facility could serve as an emergency shelter for 60 single adults in the short term (likely three to seven years), and permanent supportive housing in the long term.

Even though it is a "study" item on the council agenda for Monday, August 10, 2020, it really is a decision. Shoreline's part in this is to change the zoning for the site. If they instruct staff to proceed, then it's a "go" for King county. 

Shoreline would not own the site and would not be part of the purchase.

The King County Housing Authority owns multiple properties in Shoreline from apartment complexes to low income senior apartment buildings. Their mission is to buy property and keep rents affordable.

Lake City Partners would also partner with King county and the Housing Authority to run this shelter. They are a coalition formed to combat homelessness. Before COVID-19 they managed a homeless shelter that rotated among partner organizations. Many of the sites have since ceased to participate because of the pandemic.

If you have comments on this item, here is the information on how to contact city council.



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Officer involved shooting near Shorewood Thursday morning

Thursday, July 16, 2020

The suspect's knife is an 8 inch chef style knife.
Photo courtesy KCSO 


Thursday morning, July 16, 2020 at 6am, the King County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a resident in the 500 block of N 175 St, Shoreline.

At 6:02am, Shoreline Police arrived and spoke with a 62 year old male who had been stabbed twice. The victim reported that he had been out on a walk with his dog. As he approached his home, the victim noticed an unknown suspect following him. Just as the victim turned to walk up his driveway, the suspect stabbed the victim once in the back and once in the front. The suspect then stabbed the dog and fled on foot.

A short time later, at 6:22am, a second caller reported to 911 that a man, described as wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the first stabbing, had attempted to stab him, but he was able to fight him off.

A K9 team began tracking for the suspect. At 6:37am, two detectives located the suspect, still armed with the knife, near N 175th and Linden Ave N.

An altercation occurred between the detectives and the suspect, and ultimately the suspect was shot by detectives. The detectives immediately began life saving efforts on the suspect, to include CPR. 

Shoreline Fire arrived on scene and medics continued life saving measures but the suspect died at the scene. 

Both the 62 year old male, who was transported to Harborview, and the dog, who is at a local veterinary clinic, are in stable condition.

Seattle Police Department’s FIT (Force Investigation Team) is conducting the officer involved shooting investigation per I-940. The King County Sheriff’s Office has identified two civilian observers, per I-940 requirements, who will act as independent observers.

Both King County Sheriff’s Office Detectives have been placed on administrative leave which is standard for officer involved shootings.



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Local restaurant serves hot dinners to tent city residents

Monday, May 11, 2020

Thea Wright of Jersey's Great Food with a table
of hot dinners for Camp United We Stand residents


Story and photos by Cynthia Knox

On Saturday night, Jersey's Great Food and Spirits restaurant cosponsored and delivered individually boxed full hot dinners to the residents at Camp United We Stand tent city, currently located at St. Dunstan's Church in Shoreline.

Husband and wife Brian Patneaude and Thea Wright
own Jersey's Great Food and Spirits


The event came about when unnamed local donors contacted wife and husband owners Thea Wright and Brian Patneaude and proposed a partnership to provide a Mother's Day weekend meal to local folks living outdoors without reliable access to a kitchen.

Despite the hardship of reduced sales due to current stay-at-home orders, Brian and Thea were delighted to be invited to participate, and offered to significantly subsidize the cost of the menu items to be served.

Thea sets out the condiments


These days all around Shoreline there are many signs of residents and businesses nurturing neighbors and essential workers, and it is heartwarming to witness a community taking care of each other.

The private donors mentioned above are planning a catered lunch or dinner for frontline medical workers in the Shoreline area and are looking for individual donors and restaurants to join them in making it happen, as well finding the workers and site to receive the meal.



If you are a Shoreline resident or restaurant owner and want more info on partnering on this upcoming event, or to nominate a medical team to receive food, please email LoveShoreline@protonmail.com




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Case updates April 29, 2020 - county opens new temporary homeless shelters

Thursday, April 30, 2020


In a continuing effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent transmission through the homeless shelter population, King County has negotiated with two additional local hotels to serve as temporary shelter locations for people experiencing homelessness. King County is taking this step to reduce the density of people sleeping in shelters. These are not isolation and quarantine sites. 

  • Catholic Community Services is moving approximately 40 people from the King County Airport shelter to the Inn at Queen Anne.
  • The Salvation Army is moving about 60 people from the King County Administration Building and the King County Fourth and Jefferson Building Shelter to the Civic Hotel.

Both agencies will be onsite 24/7 and will provide case management services and meals. King County will provide security at both locations. Neither hotel will be open to other guests during this time. Moves to the hotels will be completed today.

The Jefferson Day Center, located in the Fourth and Jefferson Building, will remain open seven days a week from 7am to 7pm to offer hot coffee, snacks, bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. 

Case updates

60 people are currently staying in King County isolation, quarantine and recovery facilities, including Shoreline.

State - Dashboard
  • 14,070 known cases - up 228
  • 801 deaths
King county - Dashboard
  • 6,182 known cases - up 128
  • 436 deaths -  up 9
Shoreline
  • 285 known cases
  • 41 deaths
Lake Forest Park
  • 29 known cases
  • 1 death
Kenmore
  • 72 known cases
  • 5 deaths


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Rapid response in homeless shelters by public health experts

Thursday, April 23, 2020




From Public Health Seattle and King County

New research details how a rapid response in homeless shelters by public health experts can help protect shelter clients and staff from COVID-19. Also, read about tips for keeping multigenerational families healthy at home.

By responding rapidly to clusters of illness in homeless shelters, Public Health—Seattle & King County is establishing a national model for containing the spread of COVID-19 illness.

Two research articles published today, April 22, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe how multi-disciplinary teams deployed by Public Health are helping homeless shelters to protect their residents and staff.

Public Health deploys rapid response teams to homeless service sites where there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 or a suspected cluster based on people with symptoms of COVID-19. These multi-disciplinary teams assess the level of current illness, assess the risk of further contagion, and connect service providers and residents with resources to identify illness and prevent further spread.

Each of these teams has an environmental health staff person who assesses the facility and provides recommendations to reduce risk, such as procedures to support adequate social distancing and infection control measures. In addition, clinical team members provide education on COVID-19, screen residents and staff for symptoms, facilitate testing of exposed residents and staff, provide access to resources such as thermometers and surgical masks, and make referrals to the county’s Isolation and Quarantine facilities and Assessment and Recovery Centers.

For additional testing, a separate Mobile Assessment Team or testing team from a partner organization is available to deploy to sites, based on the specific needs at each location. In the past month, approximately 1,500 residents and staff have been tested at facilities that have had at least one positive case of COVID-19.

Since February, Public Health has been proactively reaching out to sites without any confirmed or suspected illnesses, providing technical advice on infection control and social distancing. These assessments support facilities in accessing hygiene supplies such as wipes, masks and cleaning products through a shared warehouse ordering process.

For details on King County’s coordinated response to limit the harm of COVID-19 among people living homeless, see “Action Steps: Supporting King County residents experiencing homelessness.”




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King county moving 400 shelter occupants into hotels

Friday, April 3, 2020

King County continues to reduce shelter concentrations by moving nearly 400 people to hotels

In a continuing effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent the transmission of illness through the homeless shelter population, King County has negotiated with three local hotels to serve as temporary shelter locations for people experiencing homelessness.

This is another in a series of actions King County is taking to “de-intensify” the concentration of people in shelters. This action also will allow locations to stay open 24/7, and meals will be provided. Onsite services and oversight will be provided by the shelter operators.

These are not isolation and quarantine facilities. The people who are moving are presumed to be well.

The transition to the hotel sites will happen early next week:
  • The Sophia Way is moving 100 people from a shelter site in Bellevue to a hotel in Bellevue, at 625 116th Ave NE.
  • Catholic Community Services is moving 90 people from shelter sites in Kent, Federal Way and Renton to a SeaTac hotel, at 2900 S 192nd St.
  • Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is moving 200 people from its Seattle shelters to a hotel in Renton, at 1 South Grady Way.

King County is finalizing agreements with the three hotels. The hotels will not be open to other guests during this time.



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Emergency cold weather shelter open Saturday night, possibly Sunday and Monday

Friday, March 13, 2020



Due to the predicted cold weather, the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA) will activate Shoreline’s Emergency Severe Weather Shelter Saturday night.

The Severe Weather Shelter is located at 1206 N 185th Street (the old Shoreline Police station). The operating hours for the Shelter are 8:30pm to 7:30am. 

There is the potential for it being activated Sunday and Monday nights as well if cold weather predictions hold steady. To find out if the Shelter will be activated after Sunday or Monday, call the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter hotline at 206-801-2797.

COVID-19 precautions: Due to the need to provide for social distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the shelter will be limited to 10 individuals.

For shelter help, call King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.



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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter open Wednesday, February 19

Wednesday, February 19, 2020



Please note that the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter, 1206 N 185th St. in Shoreline, has been activated for Wednesday, February 19. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30pm.

Please contact Lisa Surowiec (Volunteer Coordinator, shorelineewshelter@gmail.com) with questions.

Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter
Hotline: 206-801-2797

For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday through Friday.

Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.



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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter open Tuesday night, February 18, 2020

Tuesday, February 18, 2020



Please note that the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter, 1206 N 185th St. in Shoreline, has been activated for Tuesday, February 18. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30pm.

Please contact Lisa Surowiec (Volunteer Coordinator, shorelineewshelter@gmail.com) with questions.

Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter
Hotline: 206-801-2797

For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday through Friday.

Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.



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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter open Monday night Feb 17

Monday, February 17, 2020



Please note that the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter, 1206 N. 185th St. in Shoreline, has been activated for Monday, February 17. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30pm.

Please contact Lisa Surowiec (Volunteer Coordinator, shorelineewshelter@gmail.com) with questions.

Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter
Hotline: 206-801-2797

For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday through Friday.

Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.



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Building Connections: “A Community starts by just saying ‘Hello’”

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

LFP Community members with Rex Hohlbein and Bernard Troyer


By Sally Yamasaki


On February 8, 2020 a group of Lake Forest Park neighbors visited the open house of Block House number 6 in north Seattle. It was a joyous and emotional occasion for all who participated in the day of celebrating, welcoming, and bearing witness to the new home the community built for Tony, who has been experiencing homelessness.


The BLOCK Project is part of Facing Homelessness that was founded in 2013 through the inspiration of Seattle architect Rex Hohlbein. One day in 2010, Rex befriended a person who was living homeless near his office in Fremont. This experience showed him that the stereotypes we often hold regarding those facing homelessness were the opposite of what he experienced. He began sharing stories in a Facebook group which eventually led to starting Facing Homelessness.

“Often when we talk about the homelessness crisis, we talk about those people over there. We need to change that. 
"It is not a homelessness crisis; it is a community crisis
"The moment you say ‘community crisis’ you include yourself in that, and that right there is the beginning of tearing down the ‘other’ and including community in the answer to the issue of homelessness,” said Hohlbein.



According to Hohlbein, “The power in humanizing homelessness is that it allows all of us to see the beauty of each person living on our streets, rather than fixating on the complexity of an issue that overwhelms us,” and can be as simple as just saying, ‘Hello’.”

With the BLOCK Project, neighbors need to agree for a homeowner to host a Block home in their backyard and the surrounding neighbors all need to be in agreement. The homes are a fully-equipped, 125 square foot, environmentally-sustainable home.



Lake Forest Park community member, Mike Dee, noticed that the stories about Tony and his amazing cooking skills touched a number of people at the event. Dee relayed the story. 

 “One time, a friend who met Tony at a shelter and then invited him to stay at his house asked Tony to go camping with him. 
Tony agreed and to everyone’s delight and amazement, on a little cook stove, Tony created a most sumptuous meal for them all. 
Evidently, before Tony became homeless, he would go to the various shelters and cook for the residents there.”

Another LFP resident, Dan Benson, said that he was impressed by the way the BLOCK Project was largely about community building by bringing people together as neighbors, businesses, and volunteers, and working together to enrich all of their lives. 



“On the surface it could look like Tony was the one who was receiving a ‘gift’ today, but when I heard the stories of the various people who were directly involved I saw how they were all equally touched by the opportunity to practice their common humanity,” according to Benson.

Julie Hungar, also of LFP, noticed the impact of community. 

“I was impressed with the love and the depth of community kindness evident in everyone from Tony, excited about his new home, to Rex Holbein and his staff, to the host and the other block hosts and everyone who came to support and learn more about the BLOCK Project.” Hungar continued, 
“I am also ecstatic about the potential of this project for the world, the brilliant ideas for scaling up and being green. This has tremendous promise.”



As a group of us stood around a table enjoying delicious Mighty-O donuts, coffee, and Rachel’s Carrot Ginger Beer, ‘I asked Tony if he will be moving his things in soon? 

 He replied, “Oh, yes!” I said, looking up at the rare sunny day we had, "it looks like you will have good weather to be moving in." Tony replied, “Any weather is a good day to be moving in.”

For more information about the BLOCK Project and Facing Homelessness, or how you can contribute, see the website.



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Emergency shelter will close until the next severe weather event

Friday, January 17, 2020



The Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter was open Thursday night for guests, but this will be the last night that conditions are predicted to meet requirements for activation.

When you talk to our unsheltered friends, please make sure they are aware of the other options available to them after this evening.

This article has information about finding shelter

For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday through Friday.

Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.




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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter activated for Wednesday Jan 15

Wednesday, January 15, 2020



The Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter (1206 N 185th St in Shoreline) has been activated for Wednesday, January 15. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30pm.

Contact Lisa Surowiec (Volunteer Coordinator,
shorelineewshelter@gmail.com) with questions.

Hotline: 206-801-2797

For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday.

Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.



Read more...

Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter open Tuesday, January 14

Tuesday, January 14, 2020



The Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter 1206 N 185th St. in Shoreline has been activated for Tuesday, January 14. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30pm.

Please contact Lisa Surowiec (Volunteer Coordinator,
shorelineewshelter@gmail.com) with questions.

Shelter hotline 206-801-2797 

Thank you all for helping us get the word out! The first night we had 2 women and 2 men. Last night, we were up to 5 men and 2 women; one man was brought to the shelter at 1am by our wonderful Shoreline Police.



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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter activated for Monday, January 13, 2020

Monday, January 13, 2020

Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter


The Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter (1206 N. 185th St. in Shoreline) has been activated for Monday, January 13. The shelter will open for guests at 8:30 p.m.

Contact Lisa Surowiec, Volunteer Coordinator, shorelineewshelter@gmail.com with questions.

See previous article with details about the shelter.



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Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter - can you help?

Saturday, January 11, 2020

By Lisa Surowiec, NUHSA

Oh my, it’s getting cold out.

Whether or not you’re buying into the Snowpocalypse 2020, the fact is that we’re headed for colder temperatures and likely a little bit of accumulation as early as Sunday.

If you’ve been tightening your coat closer to you as soon as you step outside, and have felt the relief of stepping back into your warm house, consider how it must be for our unsheltered neighbors. And how much worse it’s about to get.

The shelter will officially open on Sunday evening. The hotline number for information is 206-801-2797

The Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter opens on nights that sustain temperatures below 34 degrees for at least 4 hours or there is more than 2 inches of accumulated snow. We plan to activate for the first time this Sunday. Through the commitment of some amazing, fabulous volunteers, we will be able to protect 15 adults from the cold overnight.

Can you help?

We are looking to expand our roster of volunteers to ensure coverage on these cold winter nights.

Volunteers work in pairs and for a full night’s shift. Starting at 8pm to go through opening procedures, and opening the doors at 8:30pm. Guests will leave by 7:30am, and volunteers will leave by 8am.

If you are interested in this opportunity for community service, we invite you to attend the next training, Sunday, January 26, 2020 from 1-3pm. 

Please email shorelineewshelter@gmail.com for details and to sign up to attend. Volunteers must be 18 or older.

In partnership with the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA), the City is using a portion of the former Shoreline Police Station located at 1206 N 185th St as an emergency severe weather shelter this winter. (See previous article)



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Shoreline’s Emergency Severe Weather Shelter to open Sunday night

Friday, January 10, 2020

Shoreline’s Emergency Severe Weather Shelter
will be housed in the old police station
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline’s Emergency Severe Weather Shelter to open Sunday night

Due to the predicted cold weather that will enter the region this weekend, the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA), in partnership with the City of Shoreline, will open Shoreline’s Emergency Severe Weather Shelter Sunday night.

The Severe Weather Shelter is located at 1206 N 185th St (the old Shoreline Police station). The operating hours for the Shelter are 8:30pm to 7:30am.

This shelter is an emergency, overnight shelter for individuals needing to get out of the elements. No meals will be provided. The shelter is for individuals 18 and over and pets are not allowed.

The threshold for activation will generally be a prediction of four-plus hours of temperatures at or below 33 degrees overnight or snow accumulation or expected accumulation of two or more inches.

To find out if the Shelter will be activated after Sunday, call the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter hotline at 206-801-2797.

Other winter shelters for adults
Family shelter

Mary’s Place operates shelters year-round for families with children. Contact them at 206-245-1026.

Resource lines
  • For shelter help, call 211 from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday through Friday. 
  • Outside of that time, call the King County’s Crisis Line at 866-427-4747 to connect people to the most up-to-date shelter options during severe weather.


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