More Details As Plans Move Forward For Conversion Of Hotel In Everett To Shelter

In response to a request by the Everett City Council, today representatives from Snohomish County made a presentation on the status of plans for the purchase of an existing hotel/motel that would be converted into a shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Everett, Washington.

There are three locations currently under consideration by the County. The cost using American Rescue Plan Act funds would be between $5 and $10 million dollars.

There are still many details that have not been worked out such as the final location, which agencies would be partners with the County to provide services and the scope of those services. The current timeline for the project to move into purchase and sale agreement and public notice to the affected neighborhood is targeted by Snohomish County sometime in the first quarter of 2022.

 
County staff outlined multiple challenges that have only grown during the pandemic not only in Everett but all across the County including general housing affordability, a need for more behavioral health services and shelter/bridge housing combined with comprehensive services for those living in such facilities. As it relates to homelessness in Everett this slide from the presentation provided a good overview of the need.

 
The hotel would have to meet City of Everett Zoning rules for shelter housing which currently limit stays to 90 days.

Yorik Stevens-Wajda, Planning Director for the City of Everett told the Council needed changes would mostly be administrative in order to allow for stays longer than 90 days. He provided the following memo on the current rules for converting a hotel to a shelter.
 
2021-11-22 Council memo – shelters
 

Several Council members spoke of wanting to see the numbers of calls for service by the police and fire departments to Claire’s Place over the past couple of years to try and get an idea on how sheltering 100-125 people experiencing homelessness may impact city services. There was also talk of the need for 24 hour-7 day-a-week oversight of the facility.

With regard to neighborhood impact, City of Everett code only asks for public notification of property owners within 150 feet of the site and a posting on the property. Both the planning director and council members say public notice would likely be more significant. Here is a MyEverettNews.com story from three years ago outlining some of the requirements faced by Claire’s Place which offered 65 units of low barrier housing. Notifications to neighbors were a major issue when that facility was announced in 2017.

Here is the full Power-Point presentation provided to the Everett City Council by the Snohomish County representatives.
 
11.24.21 – Everett City Council Deck_Affordability and Sheltering