Seattle mayor orders city to begin developing low-barrier, one-stop service center for homeless

SEATTLE -- Mayor Ed Murray on Thursday ordered officials to begin developing  a low-barrier, one-stop service center for unsheltered homeless people to receive customized support so they can move from the streets into permanent homes, the mayor's office announced.

The service center will be modeled on the San Francisco Navigation Center, the first of its kind, dormitory-style living facility that provides people living outside with shower, bathroom, laundry and dining facilities, a place to store their belongings, as well as round-the-clock case management, mental and behavioral health services, and connections to benefit programs and housing, all in one location.

"This facility will prioritize placement for individuals who are currently unsheltered and offer them a secure place to stay and access additional supports in a 24/7 program," the mayor's news release said.

The center will be funded in part by $600,000 secured by the city in the state capital budget in the 2016 legislative session, the mayor's office said. The city is matching this state appropriation with a private donation of $600,000 earmarked for homelessness services, and will establish a designated fund to collect additional private donations to support the center, it added.

Murray's executive order establishes a public-private partnership work group convened by the Seattle Department of Human Services to develop and implement a proposal based on San Francisco's model.