SEATTLE — The new Bayside Enhanced Shelter opens this week in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood, marking the latest effort in Mayor Katie Wilson’s plan to expand shelter capacity for those experiencing homelessness.
Located on West Armory Way, the facility includes 75 individual units, each 70 square feet, designed to help people move toward stability.
Wilson emphasized that the shelter is what the city needs more of to combat homelessness.
“The goal is to help people successfully move from homelessness toward stability and housing; that’s exactly what this site is designed to do,” she said during a groundbreaking on Sunday.
The project was developed in approximately five months.
Wilson noted that this timeline is “one of the fastest shelter development timelines our city has ever achieved.”
Each 70-square-foot sleeper unit costs $16,000 to build, and the facility includes laundry, bathroom, and community facilities.
Mayor Wilson acknowledged that the city fell short of her stated goals of providing 500 shelter beds by mid-June and 1,000 by the end of the year.
When questioned about the unmet targets, Wilson said, “so when people say it is a failure not to have creative 500 units by now, what I want to say is as long as there are thousands of people sleeping unsheltered on our streets, yes, we are failing.”
The Bayside Enhanced Shelter offers health services and drug treatment options, which will be encouraged for residents but not mandated.
Andrea Suarez, founder of We Heart Seattle, raised concerns about the shelter’s policy regarding drug use.
Suarez stated that “super meth and fentanyl are lethal, illegal drugs that will be allowed on this property, and they’re not free.”
She expressed worry that this policy could lead to increased crime in the community, as individuals may commit crimes to fuel their addictions.
“The community, our parks, our cars, our porches are going to have to be on lockdown,” Suarez added.
Addressing public safety concerns, Mayor Wilson said the city plans to maintain “continual engagement with the surrounding community.”
Wilson noted that “there’s been a lot of work to make sure that this site is going to be something that works well with the neighborhood” to address any potential issues.
The first residents are scheduled to move into the Bayside Enhanced Shelter later this week.
The city is currently exploring multiple locations in the South Park neighborhood for the development of additional tiny house villages.
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