Homeless shelter capacity gets a boost in Auburn, King County
Published 11:01 am Wednesday, February 10, 2016
For the Reporter
Homeless shelter capacity will increase in Auburn and throughout South and East King County.
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a series of actions to confront homelessness and create additional affordable housing on Monday.
Funding will create an additional 237 units of affordable housing and provide rental assistance to those who used to be homeless, military veterans, immigrants and refugees, and families fleeing domestic violence.
It also includes $10 million to connect people to services that help them succeed once they find a home.
Auburn Youth Resource’s 27-unit Arcadia project will receive $999,500.
“We continue to take action to help those who are homeless today, and prevent children and families from falling into homelessness tomorrow,” Constantine said. “This humanitarian crisis requires a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach that crosses all levels of government working with community partners. We’re delivering results at the local level – now we need our Legislature and Congress to join us.”
The executive’s actions include:
• $280,000 in emergency funding to expand shelter capacity and access in South and East King County and create a day center in South King County.
• $7 million for capital projects that will create an additional 237 units of affordable housing, including units reserved for military veterans and formerly homeless residents.
• $10 million in rental assistance, funds to operate affordable housing so that it is a positive asset in the community, and funds for support services to help families and individuals remain stably housed through case management, help finding employment, education and other services.
The capital projects will create multi-family housing for lower-income residents, seniors, and homeless youth. The largest project will be 91 new units for lower-income seniors in Kirkland. It will also create 50 new units for families in Renton and will provide $210,000 for down payment assistance.
There are multiple funding sources:
• The capital projects will be paid for with federal funds, fees collected when the county documents real-estate transactions, and the Veterans and Human Services levy.
• Most of the funding for services will come from revenue generated by document reporting fees, the Veterans and Human Services levy, and the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency fund, or MIDD. The awards include 90 Section 8 housing vouchers: 10 project-based vouches from the Seattle Housing Authority.
• The funds to expand shelter capacity in East and South King County will mostly come from fees collected when the county documents real-estate transactions.
