If a new shelter opens near your home in Seattle, the city’s plan now calls for sharing a public safety plan with your neighborhood at least one month before the doors open—along with a designated liaison contact and an encampment-free zone within 500 feet.
The ordinance, passed by a three-quarters supermajority vote in April, unlocks $8.2 million in new appropriations and sets conditions the council intends to govern every shelter opened from this point forward.
The ordinance notes that Mayor Katie B. Wilson has stated the full homelessness push totals $17.5 million—with $4.9 million of that allocated through this ordinance—and that her office has a broader goal of reaching 1,000 new shelter units by the end of 2026.
What neighbors can expect before a shelter opens
Before any new shelter launches, the city intends for a public safety plan to be shared with the surrounding neighborhood at least one month in advance…