Permanent supportive housing is set to open this year in Federal Way after King County purchased a hotel building four years ago. Now that permitting and procurement processes are complete, construction to remodel the inside is set to begin in February 2025.
The hotel is among those in Federal Way that were designated to provide shelter to people experiencing homelessness, but faced delays and setbacks.
The former Extended Stay America, located at 1400 S. 320th St., is managed by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) and was purchased by King County in August 2021 for $23.25 million.
The property acquisition is part of a larger program called Health through Housing (HTH), which focuses on a supportive housing structure for chronically homeless individuals. Seattle was one of the earliest adopters of this approach starting in the 1990s, according to “The Housing First Approach: A Documentary,” an in-depth look at this strategy of responding to homelessness, released this month by KUOW.
Eloise Harris, spokesperson for the King County Department of Community and Health Services (DCHS), said that since the purchase of the building in 2021, “multiple permitting and procurement processes took place in compliance with the City of Federal Way’s zoning and Washington State/RCW procurement requirements. By law, these steps needed to be completed in order for construction activities to start.”
The construction will create some common areas to meet the needs of residents there, including programming that supports their well-being, she said. The programming will include a variety of supportive services including: 24/7 staffing and controlled access, support with food security and essential life skills, on-site case management support tailored to individual needs and community-building events, connection to behavioral health services and healthcare, financial empowerment classes, workforce development, entrepreneurship and employment support including furthering education, job readiness, computer literacy, and assistance in acquiring and sustaining employment, and transportation supports from King County Metro and Hopelink, including ORCA cards, a program van, and trip navigation assistance, according to Harris.
The main construction that still needs to completed includes the creation of offices, gathering rooms, a TV room, a warming kitchen and laundry facilities for residents, according to permitting documents filed with the city of Federal Way.
According to documents, King County has contracted with SMR Architects to accomplish these goals. The architecture firm has been in business for four decades and “has created over 13,600 affordable housing units in the state of Washington,” sharing on their website that they are “nationally recognized for designing innovative affordable housing communities.”
Once construction mobilization begins in February, “a phased occupancy approach will be used once construction starts so that the first group of residents can move in while remaining construction is being completed. Once construction is done, program set up activities will continue. This includes furnishing remaining units and on-site orientation for HTH Federal Way staff.”
The 86 total apartments range from 307 square feet to 346 square feet.
Community response
Some Federal Way residents have shared passionate arguments for and against the Health through Housing property at city council meetings, especially at the last update from the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle at a council meeting in March 2024.
Concerns have centered on safety as well as effectiveness of the program and impact on community.
The Health Through Housing program involves a variety of safety measures, supports and screening procedures. At least 65% of the units will be reserved for individuals with established ties to the Federal Way community and current numbers show that across all HTH properties, 85% of residents have strong ties to that nearby community.
Harris shared that over 900 people are currently living across 16 buildings in seven cities through this program. HTH units are not open to everyone who is homeless. Instead they focus on individuals who are most likely to benefit from the program, Harris said.
As previously reported, this process starts with a referral from a local organization like the Multi-Service Center or the Federal Way Police Department. King County will do an initial screening to see if the individuals fit the population that Health Through Housing is trying to serve. This focuses on people who are at or below 30% of the median income, are chronically homeless (meaning they have been homeless for over a year) and are also mentally or physically disabled. After this initial screening, the ULMS will do a suitability screening to determine if the person will be a good fit for their services at that location.
When it comes to safety, Harris said that “the safety of HTH residents, staff, and surrounding neighbors is critically important. For this reason, HTH adheres to a thorough onboarding process for residents and clients. This includes lease agreements that incorporate code of conduct and Good Neighbor Agreements (GNA) for HTH Federal Way. Failure to abide by the code of conduct and the rules governing HTH Federal Way will result in the resident losing their apartment.”
While eviction is obviously a last resort, it does happen.
“In the event that a resident loses their apartment, case managers will work directly with the tenant to find a different housing situation that might be a better fit,” Harris said.
Since the purchase of the Extended Stay America property by King County, it has been used briefly in other ways. The property provided shelter briefly to Afghan refugees in October 2021, supporting the King County’s Refugee Resettlement Hotel program. A Redmond HTH program was also used in this way.
Harris said to look forward to a community meeting that will be hosted at Federal Way City Hall as well as an update to the Federal Way City Council in coming months.
Federal Way Inn and Suites (formerly Red Lion) was also purchased by King County to combat homelessness, but hasn’t opened yet, and depending on the route alternative chosen by Sound Transit for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, it may not ever open. That property is meant to focus on shorter-term emergency shelter rather than permanent supportive housing and is located at 1688 S. 348th St.
Public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Study for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension is open until Feb. 10, 2025.