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Kitsap County's only overnight shelter to close soon

BREMERTON, Wash. — The only overnight shelter in Kitsap County will be forced to close in a few days.

The Kitsap Rescue Mission does not have the funds to stay open after city officials required the shelter install sprinklers to meet building codes last month.

The shelter has been operating under a temporary occupancy permit for years and never needed sprinklers, said Nancy Olson, the executive director of Kitsap Rescue Mission.

"They decided that we have used up our period of grace, and they're just putting a stop to it," Olson explains.

Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler said he was "deeply disheartened" by the Kitsap Rescue Mission's inability to install a sprinkler system despite repeated warnings. He also said the shelter didn't show any  progress on installation.

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"I cannot in good conscience extend temporary occupancy for a shelter that is unsafe and cannot protect our vulnerable homeless population in the event of a fire," Mayor Wheeler said.

Olson said the money that would have been used for construction has helped Kitsap County's homeless population for years.

"We opened the doors, and we provided services instead of getting our construction finished," she says, "We probably put the cart before the horse in a way, but we put people first."

More than a hundred people call the Kitsap Rescue Mission every morning to reserve one of 26 beds in the shelter, according to Olson. She says it's evident there's a critical need for homeless shelters in Kitsap County.

As the nights get colder, people who stay at the shelter are growing increasingly worried about a permanent solution.

The Salvation Army, located one block away, has agreed to lend the shelter a room for overnight stays. However, Olson says the move is temporary.

Vernon Parrow stays at the overnight shelter and says it broke his heart to hear it would shut down.

"It's the only place that you can get off the streets and have a place to sleep at night," he said. "I just wish the city would see it and know that it means so much."

The Kitsap Rescue Mission will close on Sunday, October 13.